/> The legendary anecdotes about who was supposed to be part of Rang De Basanti in what capacity, grows by the day.

It now comes to light that the role of the MIG fighter-pilot Ajay Rathod was originally ear-marked for Shah Rukh Khan while the role of the rich and confused tycoon's son Karan Singahnia that the Tamil-Telugu star Siddharth played, was meant to be played by Madhavan.

Maddy who's preparing for the release of his first English -language film entitled Nothing But Life, chuckles at the memory of the role shifts in Basanti.

"I couldn't do Siddharth's role because my new Tamil film Thambi took seven months of my time. I opted for the less footage-requiring role of Flight Lieutenant Ajay Rathod. And I'm glad. I don't think I suited the part I was to play originally.

I think Sid suited the innocent bewildered industrialist's part. I'm so happy to be part of a film that has grown into a cult work in just weeks. Last week Rakeysh Mehra came to Chennai to screen the film for IIT students. The response was something I've never seen before. I'd go as far as to say Rang De Basanti is the most important film of my career."

Another very important step forward for Madhavan: "I've almost completed my first English-language film. Nothing But Life directed by Rajiv Anchal was shot in Mexico. It's the story of two people battling for their lives in the emergency unit of a hospital.

We plan to take it to international festivals before releasing it in India. Again, like Rang De Basanti, it's a film that takes risks with audiences' tastes, pre-empts trends and bends the rules.

I'm at a juncture in my career where I no longer want to do run-of-the-mill roles. Even my new Tamil film, Thambi, which opens on Feb 24 is a film about crusader's fight for justice.

But we've avoided violence as much as possible. In one sequence where we needed to show blood on screen we changed the colour scheme to a sepia tone. Somehow blood in colour looks really frightening. I don't want to be part of anything that glamorizes violence."

So impressed were the South censors by director Seeman's violent treatise on non-violence that they've passed the film with a U certificate. Thambi opens with a record 120 prints all across Tamil Nadu.

"I've never had such a wide release before. Can you believe it? Thambi is an action film. And it's suited for children. I think we need to make films that reflect reality without losing hold on basic aesthetic and moral values. Rang De Basanti does just that."