by Subhash K Jha

15 years after Kamal Haasan in Appu Raja, Anupam Kher is playing a dwarf in new director Shirish Kunder's Jaan-e-Man.

At the time when Kamal Haasan had played this unusual hero there was a great deal of speculation about how he managed to look a quarter of his size on screen. The technique employed is still a mystery.

It was rumoured that Kamal Haasan stood in trench to look dwarfed. "Now we're much more advanced," says Anupam.

"Appu Raja was so many years ago. Today we're technologically far more advanced. The packaging presentation and projection of the whole concept of a dwarf is very different today. I've already shot for Jaan-e-Maan. Believe you me it's going to be a path-breaking role."

After Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara where Anupam plays a man stricken with Alzheimer's, the actor is on the look-out for more challenging parts.

His dwarf's role is actually a first for Hindi cinema since Appu Raja was dubbed from the Tamil.

Anupam is also putting together his next directorial venture. "It's a romantic comedy inspired by the torrential monsoon deluge which overtook Mumbai in July and brought life to a standstill for two days. It's just an idea right now. I'll get down to writing it down soon. Right now I'm too much into Maine Gandhi K Nahin Mara."

Yashraj Films will in all probability be producing Anupam's next directorial venture. "But it all depends on how the script shapes up."