Actor Riteish Deshmukh, in a rib-tickling session, admits to pre-release jitters, getting into politics and 'being a rooster'. After long, one of your solo-hero projects!

Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai releases today. Apprehensive?
Nope. I meticulously work on all my projects, but its success is never in my hands. I feel pre-release jitters for every film. I think it's how a film is pitched to the audience that makes a lot of difference. Besides, if it's a small budget, single hero film like Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai, it's not as much money riding on me. And likewise, the returns expected are not all that high.

Is it difficult for you to keep switching between solo and multiple-actor projects?
I debuted in 2003. I did a few solo projects. The scripts that came to me afterwards were extremely boring and unexciting. Eventually, I took on two-hero films like Bluffmaster and three-hero films like Masti and Heyy Babyy and four-hero films like ApnaSapna Money Money. They all did decently well. I agree there was pressure on me to push Apna Sapna... a bit, but other than that, I have never been under nerve-wrecking pressure.

You made a solo debut with Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003). What made you get into so many ensemble cast films like Dhamaal and Apna Sapna Money Money after that?
Trends were changing. Solo-hero films were neither making money nor sense. There was nothing new about them. And multiple-hero projects were aplenty and were in variety. I wasn't afraid at all before entering any ensemble cast. Don't you feel lost in a film with a huge star cast? I've worked with Akshay Kumar in two films. He never makes anyone insecure on the set. That makes my belief strong that if the biggest star on the set doesn't make you insecure, nothing can.

In less than three weeks, you'll have had two big releases, Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai and HouseFull. Does that scare you?
Not at all. In fact, it's a good thing that you have two big projects releasing in three weeks. Sometimes, you end up having two releases in a week. This isn't as tricky!

The promos of HouseFull give an impression that it's a Heyy Babyy sequel!
It's probably because Akshay and I play friends in both the films, Sajid Khan is the director and Boman (Irani) is common. Other than that, there is nothing similar and it's not a sequel.

Why has Jaane Kahan. been in the making for so long?
It was a thought process. It's difficult to make a simple film. We had to keep it nice and sweet. We started shooting in late 2008 and completed the film by mid-2009. So, what took it a year to release? The multiplex-producer tiff took a long time to subside. And then, Aladdin (2009) was expected to release.

In hindsight, you had high expectations from Aladdin that became one of the colossal flops of 2009. Disappointed?
Of course, I was disappointed. I had worked very hard on it, and so had everyone else. All of us, as a team, wanted it to work. But you can only do so much.

Is Ram Gopal Varma's Warning still on?
Apparently, he has started a project with John Abraham. Yes, we're working on the script. Once we seal it, we'll start working on it.

While working together, you taught Marathi to your co-star Jacqueline Fernandez.
No. I didn't sit down to teach her. Jacqueline is the curious sort. We were at the Clash Of The Titans premiere. The photographers asked her to pose for them. They said, "Ithe, ithe." (look here). She asked me what that meant. Likewise, on the sets, if she heard someone say something, she would ask me what it was. Once on the sets, she came and asked me, "Jeolas kay?" (Have you eaten?) I was stumped. She told me she had learnt it from her staff. She asked me to teach her something and I taught her, "Jai Maharashtra".