After Blue last year Diwali, you would think that Akshay Kumar would stay away from Diwali releases. In fact that is what Vipul had presumed and was planning an Eid or a post-Diwali release for Action Replay starring Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

But a call from Akshay from London changed Vipul's plans. Akshay who is a co-producer of Action Replay asked Vipul to go in for a Diwali release, although a big franchise film Gol Maal 3 was already scheduled.

Says Vipul, "You'd be surprised to know in spite of Blue last Diwali Akshay wants us to go ahead with Action Replay this Diwali. Let's not forget, Akshay's Garam Masala had also released on Diwali and was a big hit."

Apparently Akshay wants a Diwali release because he feels that a fun frothy and goofy film like Action Replay has great festive value, bad omen be damned.

Says Vipul, "We're hoping both Gol Maal 3 and Action Replay will do well. If only one film has to succeed, then may the best one win. And may we be the best."

Vipul is also planning a collaboration with Tamil super-director Gautham Menon who directed the original Tamil version of Kakha Kakha starring Suriya. Vipul is now remaking it with John Abraham and Nishikant Kamat as director.

Throughout the re-scripting of the original Tamil into Hindi Vipul kept Gautham in the loop about the changes.

"We've made drastic changes in the script from the original. Kakha Kakha is a seven-year old film. The cop played by John will be completely different from Suriya in the original.

The police force and the law and order situation have changed. We've altered the screenplay completely. While buying the remake rights we had stipulated that the changes would be made. So legally or ethically we did not need to keep Gautham in the loop."

However Vipul felt it was only decent to inform the original about the changes. During these telephonic conversations between Vipul Shah and Gautham Menon,Shah realized Gautham was just the kind of director who could bring a refreshing new idea to the commercial Hindi cinema.

Says Vipul, "I'm definitely going to work with Gautham."