by Subhash K Jha

Bobby is very optimistic about his new release Dosti. He jumps to the defence of his previous collaboration with Suneel Darshan.

"Barsaat did well...much better than some of the over-hyped films. It was like when my brother Sunny's film Gadar was released on the same Friday as Lagaan ....Lagaan was made out to be the biggest ever when in fact Gadar was miles and miles ahead."

Today some of the supposedly dependable sections of the press don't even acknowledge the success of Gadar. Barsaat didn't get hyped....Our family is always given a raw deal. It upsets me. But as long as we do good work it's fine. What else can we ask for?"

Bobby admits Dosti is very different from Barsaat. "The film portrays the loneliness of kids from very rich families . It's about my friendship with the character played by Akshay Kumar . So we do have more prominent roles than Lara and Kareena. But they haven't been sidelined or anything."

He sighs.. "After a long time we've a film about male bonding...I believe in serious friendships. I've friends who've been with me since childhood. . Akshay and I really get along well. He's one of my close friends from the film industry. He advises me about some very important issues, like healthy living."

He pauses to think about the real-life Dosti. "Me and Akshay did Ajnabee which had an interesting plot. At that time we were just getting to know each other. Shooting with him for Dosti was like a holiday."

Next....Anil Sharma's Apne: "My father , brother and I are playing our real-life roles. But the drama and tensions are different. It's the story of a father who tries to live his unfulfilled dreams through his sons. Fortunately my dad has fulfilled his dreams. He never had to depend on us for anything."

Also on the anvil is another film with Suneel Darshan.

"It'd be very different from both Barsaat and Dosti. I guess there's a great comfort level with Suneel. Directors find me hassle-free. I like that. Why would anyone want to have hassles in life? I'd rather be straight and simple than unnecessarily complicated. Even if Barsaat or Dosti didn't do well I'd like to do another film with him. He's a capable producer and director. So everything is taken care of."

Right now Bobby is the happiest man on earth.

"I've got my entire family here with me in Chandigarh. My mom, dad, wife and my two sons are here. We'll be celebrating New Year's eve. I love the North Indian winter. We were here for the shooting of Dosti. Now it's Apne.... Barsaat did well after several of my films didn't. I'm hopeful about Dosti ...I don't mind sharing the success with Akshay as long as the film does well.