Interview : Anil Kapoor

SHORT KUT - THE CON IS ON releases today after a minor hassle around the title copy right issues. All is well that ends well though as this Anil Kapoor production has now hit the screens. We get in touch with the man at the hot seat, Anil Kapoor.

The film has taken some time to reach theaters. Wasn't it a frustrating wait?
No, not at all because a film should arrive only when it's market and the time is right. I may not have been as confident around the release of the film in say, the month of March, as I am today.

And why is that so?
The hunger factor! Today, audiences are starved of watching a good film. It was

'SHORTKUT is a small film with a big heart...'

a long period of some not-so-good films followed by the producers strike. Now the field is open for a good genuine entertainer. No one wants to see a serious dramatic movie; most of us still wish to go back to the world of fun entertainers.

Were you as confident when you started zeroing in on the character artists in the film. We have heard a lot about casting of Akshaye Khanna, Arshad Warsi and Amrita Rao. How did others come into picture?
For the role of an 'acting guru', we had earlier thought of Paresh Rawal or Boman Irani. However, when they couldn't do the film, Chunky Pandey came in since Neeraj Vora, the film's director, wanted him. And I am so glad that we went to him. Our relationship has been great over the years ever since we did TEZAAB together 20 years back. We respect each other professionally.