by Subhash K Jha

Eyebrows have been raised at Ram Gopal Varma's Shah Rukh starrer being produced by the mega-star.

Ramu is neither defensive nor aggressive on the matter. He's just amused. "Why should it bother people if Shah Rukh produces a film for me? The minute Shah Rukh offered to produce the film I agreed. Some people might think it might restrict my freedom. I disagree.

In fact I think it gives me more freedom since I can forget about production hassles for once and just comcentrate on directing.

I'm writing the script for the film. Shah Rukh will be my actor and producer. Just who produces the film makes no difference. These are just technicalities. Who makes the film isn't important. The film is."

During 2006 Ramu goes from Mr Bachchan in Nishabd to the untitled film with Shah Rukh. "Yes, I guess that's true. Shah Rukh and I have been in discussion for a long time. I guess it was now or never."

Is it true his story based on Time Machine, just like Harry Baweja's Love Story 2050?

"There is an element of time shift in my film. It's set in three time zones...the past present and future. I've no idea what Harry Baweja's story is.

But this is an unnecessary controversy. Harry met me. I told him there're fifty films in Hollywood based on Time Machine. Films don't work on plots. They work on narrative and characters and how a plot is constructed."

It's rumoured that Kareena agreed to do Ramu's film with Shah Rukh at the cost of Harry Baweja's film. Ramu guffaws. "That sounds rather far-fetched. I guess the journalists who wrote this must have a more fertile mind than my script writers at the Factory.

To my knowledge Kareena left Harry's film long before I signed her. I'm not concerned with why she left Harry's film. It's her choice. I'm pretty sure my film and Harry's are totally different films."

Ramu raves about both his stars. "Kareena is someone I wanted to work with for a while. I offered her a couple of my earlier films. But it didn't work out.

She's just right for the part. I required someone like her. The Shah Rukh film suits her completely. As for Shah Rukh, I want to project him in a light that hasn't been attempted before."

Ramu once for all makes it clear that his film is not a sc-fi flick. "I'd term it a social-fantasy. It's a kind of adventure-action entertainer. It's too unique in concept to describe.

I don't think it has any genre or reference point. Shah Rukh and I couldn't be doing something routine. Not after waiting so long to work together."