by Subhash K Jha

Shiny's career is Rocking. That's the title of the film he has signed opposite Sushmita Sen which Tanuja Chandra will direct and Anurradha Prasad will produce.

But it's the thought of playing the ageless Bhootnath in Rituparno Ghosh's adaptation of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam which really gives Shiny a huge high. "Yes, Rituparno Ghosh has spoken to me, though we haven't met."

Ghosh is keen to have Shiny play Bhootnath. Shiny is non-commital.

"Yes Ritu has shown interest in casting me as Bhootnath. And I've worked with the same producer Pritish Nandy in my first film Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi . It'd be a pleasure to do a classic so early in my career," enthuses the star who's already worked with one woman director Ruchi Narain in Kal and is all set to be Tanuja Chandra's hero in Rocking.

"It is story of a relationship between a rock star played by Sushmita and a doctor, that's me. And contrary to the title Rocking doesn't refer to Sushmita," he's quick to add, for the fear of being branded a supporting actor in ladies' pictures.

In fact Shiny is currently in Seoul for a 20-day schedule of a film that revolves around him and Emran Hashmi. "I play the title role in Gangster. This is Anurag Basu's pet project, the one he has been working on for a year. Yes, Sanjay Dutt was considered. I'm flattered to have been chosen for an out-and-out action films where I play the title role."

Shiny has been doing yoga to master the art of patient perserverance. "I'll have to hang cable wires for minutes. That requires a lot of willpower. Yoga will help me that."

He co-stars with a new actress called Kangana. "But what really excites is that I'm part of the first Indian film to be shot in Seoul. I like to be where new things are happening. I feel both my films so far Hazaaron Khwashien Aisi and Kal broke the mould, got away from traditional filmmaking to probe and experiment the human psyche in a novel manner. That's the kind of cinema I believe me. And yet I also want to be where the action is. That's where Gangster comes."

Shiny sees it as his chance for fame glamour and mainstream stardom. "Of course I want all of that. Who doesn't ? I'm working towards it."

So happy is Anurag Basu with his hero that they've already decided to work on a film called Metro loosely based on the Meryl Streep-Robert de Niro romance Falling In Love. "I don't know if that's the source," shrugs Shiny. "But yes, it's about a two married people who fall in love on the metro."

The actor seems to have become quite a favourite with the Bhatts. After Gangster Shiny will do another film for Mukesh Bhatt.

"I feel I'm cruising down the runway. My career is about to take off." After returning from Seoul Shiny says he leaves for LA to negotiate a Hollywood project. "It's an Italian-American filmmaker whose cinema is on the lines of what Martin Scorcese makes. I think he saw Hazaar Khwaishein and wants me for a his film."

Why not focus on your career in Bollywood before looking westward?