You started off as a film-journalist? Was it a conscious decision to find a foothold in films? 
You can say so. However, I was just a trainee with Stardust and my work over there wasn’t appreciated much. Thereafter, I joined Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and very soon I worked with Mukul Anand on a film called ’Aitbaar’ (starring Raj Babbar and Dimple Kapadia). I was an apprentice then. It took me 17 years to make my first movie.
 
When did the thought of being a film-maker first set in? 
I always used to watch films when I was young. I was charmed by the visions and the story they told in three-odd hours. I guess, it was a gradual process, where ultimately I found that my calling was cinema and here I am now making films!
 
Does a film not being a hit depress or disappoint you? 
Yes, it disappoints me to a certain extent, just like it would disappoint anyone. However, it also makes me better geared-up for my next film. Success of a film conveys that your work has found mass acceptance.
 
Do you think that instead of Neil, if you had Hrithik, the fate of Johny would have been different?
Well, I really don’t fully endorse the view. I guess the time of release could have been better. We released the film during Ramzaan. Again, I think the film could have been much better publicised. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), (adults only), too kept the family audiences away. So all these factors combined together cast a shadow on Johny Gaddar’s box-office potential. However, its DVDs are one of the highest sold DVDs in 2007.
 
You are doing no more movies with your mentor Ramu. Why? Fell out?
No, there is definitely no bad blood between Ramu and me. In fact, I owe a lot to Ramu. It’s just that there is no exciting idea,  enough to fire our imagination, though we have brain-stormed a few. As soon as we have an idea that is mutually acceptable, we will make it into a movie.
 
What are your current projects?
I am doing two films at the moment. One is Saif’s home production with most probably, Saif and Kareena. The other is a film for Rohan Sippy (Bluffmaster) that has John Abraham and Aishwarya Rai. Unlike my previous works, it is a love story.
 
Which is one dream actor you want to direct? 
More often than not, there is only one actor on each director’s wish-list, Amitabh Bachchan. I really want to direct him, because, without mincing any words he is the best. I am looking for a suitable script to do justice to his immense acting potential.
 
What is your idea of a perfect script? 
Deewar. Though Sholay was or rather is a great movie, I find each and every scene of Deewar very powerful. It is an amazing script, a very powerful script.
 
Your favorite film? 
Oh, those are many, I can write a whole book out of the names of my favorite films!