Do you think you were approached to be one of the judges for the show Chhote Miyan on Colors only because you have been a popular child star?
I think I was approached by the channel Colors and asked to be one of the two judges along with Rahul Mahajan for the show Chhote Miyan not just because I have been a child star but also because of my contribution to comedy as an actor over the last several years. I think the channel felt that I have the expertise to understand not only comedy but also the psychology of the kids who are participating in the show.

Is it for the first time that you are a judge in a reality show?
I may be a judge for the first time in a reality show for children but it dos not mean that it is for the fist time that I have been made a judge in a reality show. Along with Perizaad Zorabian, I was a judge in the singing reality show Krazy Kiya Re. Right now I am not only producing but also taking part as a judge in the Marathi reality dance show called Ekapeksha Ek.

How do you approach your job as a judge?
My personality is not that of a strict person when it comes to being a judge. I am happy that I have this lenient and friendly image as far as children are concerned because I am of the opinion that if you start being rude, you will never be able to correct any participant because you will be only misunderstood from Day One.

How do you deal with it when the kids start crying when they are eliminated from the show?
I am in this show just to guide the children and show them the way to go about things, as margadarshak. When it is a show in which the participants are eliminated, why just a child, I have seen even adult participants cry their hearts out

How tough or easy is it for you to be the judge of a reality show for children?
Actually I feel that judging children is always very difficult for any jury member. It is both tough and easy to be a judge in a reality show like this, but all said and done I feel that it is going to be a lot of fun, with Juhi Parmar and Kapil Sharma as the anchors and Rahul and I as the judges.

You could be painted as a villain in just a second by the person who gets zero in the show and also there are the chances that you would be put on the pedestal of the hero when a participant gets 10 out of 10 marks from you.

How would you rate the kids who are taking part in the show?
I would say that kids today know how to entertain. In fact, they know it better than us. It will be a great experience to see these little masters come on stage and perform. I think I may even learn something new from the brats.

How often do you and co-judge Rahul discuss the points and give then ratings for the participants?
Rahul and I, as judges may exchange a word of two when it comes to judgment but ultimately what matters is our own individual opinions, as judges.

Besides these two reality shows, do you have any thing up your sleeves, wither as an actor or as a producer or for that matter director?
Right now, I am keeping myself busy with only these two reality shows- Chhote Miyan and Ekapeksha Ek. Ekapeksha Ek is being produced by me with Shriprasad as the director. I am the solo judge in then show unlike in this show where Rahul Mahajan and I co-judge the show together. Adesh Bandekar is the anchor of the show Ekapeksha Ek. Frankly speaking I am not in the mood to act in TV soaps or shows.

Does it automatically mean that you have stopped acting in films?
I have not said that I have stopped acting in films, because primarily I am a film maker. Unfortunately film making has become very expensive now and we have no other alternative but t play safe by giving to people what they want.

What has happened to your plans to make a film in Hindi?
I am planning to make a film in Hindi. However I have put my plans on hold for the time being because of the cash crunch. I suppose people now are not ready to start films left right and centre.

How would you evaluate your growth since the time you had made your debut as a child star?
It is my forty-sixth year as an actor. I think I have grown tremendously as a person who ahs contributed to the growth of the entertainment industry.

The best thing about my growth feel is that I have not been restricted to only acting but have tried my hand at various aspects of entertainment like film singing, live singing, producing and directing not only TV serials but also feature films in Hindi as well as my mother tongue Marathi, anchoring and dancing. You name the medium and I have tried my hand at it at one time or the other.

Is there anything that you crave to do?
If you ask me, if I yearn to do something else which I have not till date, all that I can say frankly is that there is always a craving in any human being to do some thing that he or she has not done at all earlier. I too am no exception to this rule. I think I have so many packets left in my pocket, which are yet to be opened.