/> Kunal Kapoor makes a startling revelation. His new film is a homage to Shekhar Kapoor.

"Mr India, to be more precise. I've always been fascinated by Shekhar Kapoor. When I was 18 I tried to grow a beard like Shekhar. It was a miserable failure. I've always wanted to make a film like Mr India.

And now is my chance. In fact Rani kept reminding me on the sets thow much Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic reminded her of Mr India."

Magic, the wonderment of the supernatural, fairy godmothers who bring joy...Kunal Kohli says he's going back to the arcadian innocence of the Amar Chitra Katha comics in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic.

"I'm inspired by Mr India more than anything else for this film. If you look at the history of Indian cinema you'd see that fantasy-magical films are always accepted whether it was Mr X In Bombay or Mr India.

I'm alarmed to see kids today have only action films as their favourites. No one is making a Sound Of Music or a Parichay any longer for the child within us.

Kunal Kohli is very upset with people who have been comparing his film Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic with Mary Poppins. "I've stopped feeling hurt by their imagination. I marvel at their irresponsibility. My film is about a man who couldn't get love, a woman who can't get love and four orphaned children.

In the four films I've done so far I've constantly tried to skip genres. My second film Hum Tum was nothing like my first Mujhse Dosti Karoge...I've always tried to experiment with genres.

When I started developing on Thoda Pyaar...I didn't think about how much people will accept it. It was just what I wanted to do."

More worrisome is that fact that with Saif, Rani and a bunch of kids Thoda Pyaar... resembles Tara Rum Pum.

Kunal is unperturbed. "These comparisons don't bother me. From the reactions I've got I feel the Saif-Rani pair from my film Hum Tum is much more strongly embedded in people's minds than Tara Rum Pum.

My film is not about a happy family singing and dancing together. Mine is a totally unhappy group of family, not even a family. The kids in the film just can't stand Saif. Whenever Saif has done something different he has excelled in that.

Whether it's Dil Chahta Hai, Omkara, Hum Tum or Race. In Thoda Pyaar he's always in formal wear, out on business dinner. He's a very propah industrialist. I wouldn't allow him to be the trademark Saif in my film. Rani brings in an element of fun. I don't think anyone else has played an angel before."

She wears one costume throughout.

Reasons Kunal, "Gabbar Singh in Sholay had only one costume. In Mr India Anil Kapoor had only one costume. Even Mogambo in Mr India only one costume. But there're layers to Rani's costume. Hopefully there'll be layers to the movie."