by Subhash K Jha

Randeep claims he has been flooded with offers ever since he moved away from the Ram Gopal Varma camp. "I guess all those filmmakers who thought I was going to work exclusively for Mr Varma have woken up to my presence. It feels good."

The actor wants to chill in the US after the shooting of Karma Confessions & Holy . But there's just one problem.

"I've been offered a film by Tigmanshu Dhulia (Haasil, Charas). I like the gritty subject , it's my kind of a film. But there's just one problem. He wants to start right away. I'd rather he take his time and begin after working everything out. If I decide to go ahead with his plan I'd be back in Mumbai at the beginning of November."

At the moment NY has all of the actor's attentions.

"There're so many film units from Mumbai shooting in New York right now I'm feeling at home. In fact Karan Johar's unit for Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna is staying in the same hotel as I am, " Randeep Hooda, shooting what he calls a "fusion film" Karma Confessions & Holy, is kicked about his second international Bollywood film..

"I don't know how to classify it. But I do know that the professionalism on the sets is exemplary. The First AD (assistant director) Alex Orr, is the all in-charge. The director Manish Gupta knows his job only too well. After the kind of chaos I've encountered in Mumbai at a shoot, this is a relief," says Hooda referring to the apparent friction on the sets of Chekravarthy's Darnaa Zaroori Hai where apparently things were so bad that the director and actor were constantly at loggerheads.

Back in NY.....

"The combination of Asian-Indian actors and Caurcasian American actors is amazing. And they all work so well together, it doesn't feel like distinct cultures working together. It feels like a group of committed passionate cinema persons working together."

Randeep refuses to comment on Ram Gopal Varma's blue-eyed boy Mohit Ahlawat's observations on Randeep's conduct in and around Varma's organization.

"I don't want to comment on anything on what is being said . I'll keep quiet because I'm a very tolerant man. I can talk about what actually happened with Ramu when I feel the need to. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. But it needn't be the truth."