by Subhash K Jha

Shahid Kapoor has three big releases coming up in two months -- Vikram Bhatt's Deewane Huye Pagal that hit theatres Friday, John Matthew Mattan's Shikhar and Mahesh Manjrekar's Life Ho To Aisi. Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Suddenly there's hyper-activity in your career?
A: I've three releases in a month and a half. The comedy Deewane Huey Pagal is coming on 25 November. John Mathews' Shikhar on 16 December. In January I've Mahesh Manjrekar's Life Ho To Aisi with Sanjay Dutt. In my whole career so far I've had three releases.

Now I've three in a few weeks. I never wanted to do too many films. But the offers are getting better and better.And I'd be foolish to say no to Sooraj Barjatya, Abbas-Mustan and Priyadarshan. I'll have seven releases in the next one year. It's a crucial time for me.

I'm trying my best to create nuances for each character.Right now I've no choice but to surrender to my directors' vision. They're all much bigger and better at their job than me.

Q: How is it working with Priyadarshan for the first time?
A: I'm very happy. The film I'm doing is very funny. 80 percent of it is light-hearted. And then there's the drama and romance. Kareena and I are really enjoying shooting for it. Right now Priyan is on a high. All his films are doing well. I hope Kyun Ki (with Kareena) does well. It's looking lovely.

Q: You've just signed Sooraj Barjatya's film?
A: Yeah ! Sooraj-ji gave me a six-hour narration . He went into the details of the dialogues, elaborated on how he wanted specific scenes to be done, sang the songs to me...He gave me a complete picture of the experience.

After many years Sooraji is going back to his Maine Pyar Kiya roots. It's about a boy and a girl. I play the boy, Amrita Rao plays the girl...and that's all I can tell you (laughs).

It's a very relationship-driven plot, so a lot will depend on me and Amrita.It's a very young film about discovering love. And since I think love stories are my forte I'm very excited it.

Q: John Abraham thinks you need to lose that beefy look.
A: 20 years ago only action heroes needed to stay in shape. Today I think everyone ,even the romantic heroes, need to stay fit. People like to see me as the boy nextdoor. But even the boy nextdoor has to have a toned body because there are gyms in every nook and corner.

Abroad we've Tom Cruise who's a boy nextdoor with a good body. I think an actor needs to have all the tools at his disposal. It's up to me to decide where I want to show my body.

But yes, in Dil Maange More I had become a bit too puffed up. I've lost weight on my face and body. I want to look lean.

Q: How do you view the competition?
A: It keeps changing every Friday. My competition is with myself. And if my films do well I'm happy. Each actor has his own journey. Look at the three Khans...they all have their own place , and they're all irreplaceable.

Q: Are you comfortable working with Kareena?
A: We did Fida together. We're now completing Satish Kaushik's Milenge Milenge and Abbas-Mustan's 36 China Town. She scares me in a shot. She's so good I've to be on my toes constantly.

A newcomer like me has to try twice as hard. Acting with her is like being on a treadmill at full speed for half an hour.

Q: But being in love and working together ...is mixing pleasure and business.
A: But we see it as a much-needed opportunity to be together. Right now both of us are at critical junctures in our careers. We see it as an advantage that we're doing so many films together. If we didn't have three films together we'd not be able to meet for weeks and months.

And our relationship would've suffered. Even if we're on the sets with lots of people we still get to be near each other, and that's enough.We're very closely connected. Being together helps both of us grow.

Q: People had given the two of you just a few weeks..
A: It was weeks, then months. Now we've been together for two years. I feel our relationship is for keeps. My life is currently at a decisive stage. I know I'll get my dues. But sometimes this get delayed. Sometimes you think you're doing the right film. But you're actually not.