/> The producer of such outlandish escapist dramas as Hera Pheri, Awara Paagal Dewaana and, ahem ahem, Fool And Final, is turning over a new leaf.

Feroz Nadiadwala has decided to adopt avant-garde filmmakers into his production house in a big way. He has signed on a bouquet of auteur filmmakers to give his company a more 'festive' profile.

"It's not like I'm craving to be at film festivals," protests Feroz from London. "I don't see films and filmmakers occupying different categories. There's good cinema and there's bad cinema. I've signed Sai Paranjpye, Kundan Shah, Aziz Mirza and Prakash Jha because I love their kind of cinema.

I love those middle-of-the-road movies by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee like Gol Maal and Chit Chor. I don't see these as art films. I loved Sai's Chashme Buddoor and Katha. She's now making a suspense satire for me called Khoon To Hona Hi Tha...don't you just love the title?"

Interestingly some of these filmmakers like Prakash Jha and Aziz Mirza have their own production houses. They've agreed to make films for Nadiadwala because he promises them a free hand.

Feroz hopes to let one of his bouquet of avant garde writers make a film at a time. "I've also signed Ahmed Khan and Rumi Jaffrey and Anees Bazmi. And I'm open to new talent any time anywhere."

Immediately on the anvil is Phir Hera Pheri Part 4. "I love how confused people get when I say we've gone on to Part 4. They want to know what happened to Part 3. Have they missed something? I love the mystery."

Needless to say, some of the above projects will feature Akshay Kumar. "I love hummers and I love Akshay. Most of all I love Akshay in hummers. Akshay is my brother. We may have our differences of opinion. But we're at one in our passion for movies. Somewhere, Akshay too needs to a different kind of cinema."

Chances are the Prakash Jha project may star Akshay.