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.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh, 31, gives out a slew of interviews at director Nikhil Advani’s Bandra office terrace. Sitting hunched at a table, he answers queries on his first solo film in seven years, Jaane Kahaan Se Aayi Hai, which releases on April 9. Riteish studied architecture in Mumbai to practice it in New York. He is still a partner in a Mumbai architecture firm called Evolutions. He also belongs to what can politically be called one of Maharashtra’s first families. His father, Vilasrao Deshmukh, former chief minister of Maharashtra, is now a central minister. Elder brother Amit is an MLA. After his interviews, Riteish lets us into an office. He sits back and talks passionately for one hour with RISHI MAJUMDER — about politics and architecture. And why he chooses cinema over these. Excerpts:

Are you connected to your lineage? What does Latur mean to you?Latur means everything to me. I keep going back to Latur and the Maharashtrian traditions I have been brought up with. My family culture is very much like the Congress culture. There is no exclusivity. We go to the temples as well as the mosques in and near my village. I was born in Latur and came to Mumbai when I was five. From then, till I was about 23, every vacation was spent in Latur. I’ve played in mud, climbed trees, milked cows, run around in puddles and put firecrackers in cow dung to watch it explode. I’ve done everything a village boy could do, even though I grew up in Mumbai. There were always both worlds

At a time when actors are doing one film a year, you have three this year — Rann, Naa Jaane Kahan Se Aayee Hai and then Housefull.
I don’t do anything consciously. I don’t think about them too much. When I go on the sets of a particular film, I adapt myself accordingly. As for this year, the timing is such that all three films are releasing pretty close to one another. But as an actor you need to space out the kind of work you are doing. You can’t have films hitting the marquee every second month or the audience will get bored. I try my best, but then deciding the release dates is again not in my hands.

You do a lot of romcoms and lighthearted films...
I haven’t done a romantic film in a long time. When I agree to do a romcom, I look at what it has to offer in terms of variety in the storyline. There has to be humour, romantic scenes, poetic justice, victory of the underdog — the works. That’s what makes it an out-an-out entertainer. And that’s what I want — to entertain the audience.

What about comedy? The audience seems to love the Ritesh Deshmukh brand of comedy.
There are various kinds of comedy that I’ve done — slapstick, pokerface, village comedy or cool comedy like Bluffmaster. You know it’s fun to be part of such films because apart from making the audience laugh, you end up having a lot of fun acting out the part as well. But the one thing that I would love to do now is a spoof, which I haven’t done so far. So keeping my fingers crossed.

He says, “Too much also bores people. And I’m beyond talking about what music plays in my car and what my favourite dish is.” Aladin is the first title role in his career. Is he feeling the pressure? “If I was alone in the film, probably. But there’s Mr Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt with me. I’ve never looked at any film as pressure. So, I’m never too excited or too dejected by the fate of a film. I’m not indifferent, but I’ve prepared myself like this since childhood,” he states.

His last hit was Dhamaal (2007). Were the slew of flops in between wrong choices? “I stand by films that don’t work. Sometimes, films don’t turn out the way you want them to; sometimes, they turn out exactly the way you wanted them to be, yet they flop. But I won’t run away from a film that doesn’t work,” he maintains.
He’s only done multi-starrers till now, and doesn’t mind them. Is he not ambitious enough?

Ritesh Deshmukh has worked his way up slowly from a five-hero film, to four, three, two and now as a solo hero. He has impressed everyone with his comic timing and hopes to continue to do so with a fantasy (Aladin), a serious film (Rann) and a romance (Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai)

What gives you a high? When a family member wins an election or when you have a film doing well?

Undoubtedly, when a family member wins an election. That’s because much more is at stake in politics and it’s a once-in-a-five-year event. As an actor, you get three to four chances a year, but in politics you have to wait for five years for another chance.

If you had three wishes, what would they be?

If I have a lamp that Amitabh Bachchan comes out of as a genie, I don’t think I want anything else. That itself is worth three wishes.

After a string of multi-starrer comedies, like Masti, Kya Kool Hain Hum and Dhamaal, Riteish Deshmukh has found himself a niche in the genre. He’s currently awaiting his next release, ‘Do Knot Disturb’, which he believes is going to be an absolute laugh riot. “David Dhawan is the biggest director I have worked with until now. It was an amazing experience on the sets everyday. When you have the duo of David and Govinda, everyone knows that a super comedy is on the charts.”

Do Knot Disturb’ will see Dhawan and Govinda come back together after two years — their last was Partner in 2007. “Everybody knows that both of them work great together.

The best part is that even though they are such great friends, not once did they make me or other actors feel left out,” Deshmukh admits.

The topic for this Sunday episode of Star Plus; popular chat show Tere Mere Baech Mein is Socha Na Tha. All the three guests who came on the show hosted by Farah Khan are Ritesh Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi and Sreesanth were chosen as all the three had committed mistakes which they never thought would have such a huge impact in their lives and would create some major controversies.

ritesh-deshmukhNovember 30, 2008 is a day Ritesh Deshmukh would want to erase from his memory. On the unfortunate turn of events, he says, “I was going on a shoot and Ramuji (Ram Gopal Verma) was supposed to come with me and we were to drive together. My father was going for a check up, so we all were in the same car, however since my father was the CM, he wanted to go and assess the situation at the Taj ordeal site. To my knowledge, the police had assured that it was all clear at the site and they had collected all the required evidences.”

Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh’s humorous streak has often been compared to comedy king Govinda, but the young actor says “there can only be one Govinda” in the industry.

I have often been compared to Govinda. One needs to understand it’s one of the biggest compliments anyone can ever give me. But there can only be one Govinda,” Riteish told IANS in an interview.

“He is among the best talent we have (in Bollywood). And if everyone thinks that I am close to his style and look like I belong to the same kind of comedy, I am extremely happy,” he added.

The two actors have teamed up for the first time for David Dhawan’s comedy “Do Knot Disturb”, which also stars former beauty queens Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta.

Riteish says he has a lot to learn from Govinda.

Has shooting for Rann revealed anything new about the Indian media?

There wasn’t anything shockingly new for me. The film is part fiction.Corruption exists in almost all spheres of life and the media is no exception. Rann is all about the battle to be in the top slot. Be it sports, politics, the corporate world or the media, competition often breeds cruelty. How many times have we heard of what cricketers do to get a berth in the team, how tough companies get to bag a contract or what top leaders do to get a Parliament ticket? It’s a war right upto the end.

It's been five years. From "Chief Minister's son," he is now known as someone who has gained a foothold for himself in movie town. Known for his down to earth nature and his comic timing, here is Riteish Deshmukh in review mode with Vajir Singh.

Excerpts from our conversation:

Do you know that you're known as the nice guy of the industry?

(Smiles) See, I'm not into any camp and also don't believe in it. I'm friendly with everyone as they are with me. Everyone here has been gracious enough to accept me as an actor and their friend. I feel good about it. I've always believed in giving before expecting. If I give respect to others, only then will they respect me.