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 manyyears ago. Today we're technologically far more advanced. The packaging presentation and projection ofthe whole concept of a dwarf is very different today. I've already shot for Jaan-e-Maan. Believe you me it's goingto 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 comedyinspired 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 the release of Maine Gandhi K Nahin Mara.

"So much so that the other day I was having breakfast at Mr Yash Chopra's residence when I saw flowers coming in. 'What's the occasion?' I asked my close friend. 'It's my birthday. Tumhein Gandhi se phursat ho tab mere bare mujhe sochoge,' Yashji replied."

Yashraj Films will in all probabilitybe producing Anupam's next directorial venture. "But it all depends on howthe script shapes up."