/> His villainous turn in Agneepath is getting him unprecedented encomium. But just before the release of the film Rishi Kapoor had a huge spat with director Karan Malhotra when the actor saw some of his major scenes had been cut on the editing table.

So disillusioned was Rishi with the final length of his role that he demanded he be billed for ‘special appearance' in the film. The director insisted he would give Rishi Kapoor top billing, ahead of Sanjay Dutt and Hrithik Roshan, instead.

As candid as ever Rishi doesn't deny he was unsure of his role. "When I went for dubbing I saw some of my best scenes were missing. When I asked Karan Malhotra about them he said they were edited. I got upset.

Karan kept assuring me that my part has emerged pivotal to the plot. But I was unconvinced. Poor Karan. I know him from the time he was a child.

I've done four films including the super-hit musical Khel Khel Mein with my wife Neetu, with Karan Malhotra's father Ravi Malhotra. I've seen him running around in shorts on his father's sets. He kept ensuring me about my role. But I was unconvinced. "

To compound his woes Rishi Kapoor had to re-dub some of the objectionable dialogues given to his flesh trader's character regarding women.

Says Rishi, "One major sequence where my character talks of women and goats in the same breath was censored, and rightly so. The censorboard also objected to some of my dialogues where my character talks explicitly about women's anatomy.

I had to re-dub those scenes at the last minute. We had to find suitably alternate dialogues for the ones that were censored. So the pre-release time was tough for me. "

Rishi sheepishly admits he was wrong to lose his cool considering how much praise he has come in for.

"I never expected this kind of a response. To begin with I didn't want to play the despicable character Rauf Lala. I kept asking, ‘Why me?'

Hats off to the two Karans (producer Karan Johar and director Karan Malhotra) for imagining me in such a evil character's skin when all my career I've played sweet romantic lover-boy roles. Yeah, I did play a villain in Vashu Bhagnani's Kal Kissne Dekha.

But that wasn't well accepted by the audience. I was completely unsure of Agneepath. I wonder what made them think of me. "

All of Rishi's fans were against his being cast in a villain's part. "Besides my wife there was only actress who urged me to play Rauf Lala. And that was Bhagyashree.

I want to thank her for advising me to do this role. In my entire career I've never received such a positive response, and that too for a negative role. Both the Karans are like my sons. I am glad I finally trusted them. "

Rishi expects a flood of bad-man roles after Agneepath. "But no thanks. I am not cut out to be a villain.... unless it's something really special. Who knows about tomorrow?"