Acting is an art practiced by men and women, an art which can be mastered by just a few men and women who are sensitive, sincere and passionate, men and women who know what life is, life in all its shades and colours, all its ups and downs, all its various moods, expressions and experiences. Acting is not all glamour and glitter, glory and games. It is not a matter of handsome looks and beautiful faces made up by artists who are called make-up men. Acting is not a game of wrestling, not a round of boxing where one tries his best to knock the other out or a game of "Kabaddi" (someone once called it the only game in which Bharat mahan can hope to succeed some day or the other). Acting is knowing how to live so many different lives, different characters, different human emotions, bringing alive lives which are created by writers on paper. Acting is the art of working some great magic from somewhere within and shake up men and women and transport them to another world where other characters are born, live, go through the entire gamut of life as created by men and women who specialise in creating that other world, those other characters, so many different experiences, a churning of circumstances. Acting is forgetting yourself, even "killing" yourself while you are at it during the time you are living another life. Actors/ actresses have no right to be themselves, whoever they are, big or small, super or not so super. They have to ‘die’ to live as good or great actors. It is only those who have the courage to bury themselves who can rise to be actors and actresses who will live and be remembered for ever, who will be referred to as reference points, symbols of greatness, examples of excellence. Acting is not a game, not a job to be taken lightly. Acting is almost something divine. Acting is a mission. Actors/ actresses are really not ordinary people. That’s why we have a handful of genuine actors/actresses who have the guts to die to live.

PRAKASH KULKARNI, GOA:
When will Yash Chopra direct his own film? He is the last of the greats. We are still waiting. How long will we have to wait?
Yash was the inspiring force behind his son Aditya during the making of Mohabbatein. He has only inspired, never interfered, not even entered the sets unless it was an emergency. Yash is now busy playing producer, making plans to release the film positively on October 27. He will than start a film which will be directed by Kunal Kohli, the T.V. personality. And then when he is totally at peace with himself, he will launch his own film, another naturally great love story with Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai playing lovers like only Yash knows, understands, lives and loves with the lovers.

SAMUEL JOHN, IGATPURI:
Is it true that the fascinating actor Manoj Bajpai turned down an offer made by the showman Subhash Ghai because of the price mentioned by Manoj which sent the showman staggering?
This actor, Manoj Bajpai, is a very good actor but he has his own mad mad ways which he has a right to as an individual but than there are times when you can’t act big with a very big man, the showman himself in this case. The film had an added advantage. It was to be directed by Prakash Jha for Subhash Ghai. The showman didn’t think twice. Some of the leading idols and stars never talk to him the way Manoj talked to him. He asked Prakash to look for another young man and Prakash found Jatin Garewal to play the leading role in a film called Rahul which will be completed within three months.

I appreciate Manoj’s stand but I also believe that it is little too early for him to dictate things to men who are not used to such dictation, such demands. Will my friend learn if he has to last long which he is fully capable of.

JASMIN MOHAMMED, JAIPUR:
Is it true that Shah Rukh Khan is producing a film on the life and times of Ashoka the Great and is he playing Ashoka himself?
Which world are you living in ? Shah Rukh is producing Ashoka with Santosh Sivan as his director and he is playing Ashoka. He is going all out to prove that he is still the best and his critics can’t get the better of him, come what may.

R. J. , Mumbai:
I don’t think Rishi Kapoor has been used as an actor to his full capacity. I have just heard that he is making a comeback as a mature with character actor. What are the films he is doing?
A good actor can not go away. He can not be pushed out. No good director will have the courage to do that. Rishi took a break, then directed his first film Aa Ab Laut Chale and is now back to acting, doing two major mature roles in Rahul Rawail’s Khatti Meethi Khatti Mitthi and Ajay Devgan’s Raju Chacha. He will continue acting till he can. He will also direct films when inspired. That’s is his plan of action.

Janak Ram, Ludhiana:
Is comedy difficult
Ask me, I can tell you the truth, the truth like no one else can. Comedy, good comedy not the vulgar crass and double meaning dialogue comedy is very-very difficult. Ask Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan, two of the greatest actors in the country and they will tell you. Like Dilip Kumar says hum actoron ko hasane ke liye kitna rona padta hai, yeh sirf hum jaante hain Charlie Chaplin sabse bade comedian the. Who din main 22 ghante kaam karte the jab unki shooting chalti thi, sirf hasane ke liye.

SUMITRA WAGH, KOLHAPUR :
Now with Madhuri, Juhi, Kajol, Manisha and Sridevi almost on the verge of retirement, what kind of girls do you think the girls of the new millennium will be?
Too early to say. One thing, however, is sure they will be brave, brash, bold and even talk tough more for their extra curricular activities than about acting itself.

Raju Merchant, Mumbai:
What do you think of the whole set of new comers who are all set o make it in Hindi films?
The rule that applies to all the actors and actresses. They will last if they are good. They will be thrown out if they are indifferent, forget being bad. So, they should step in carefully and take every step cautiously. This industry is a very lovable industry. It can also a very ruthless industry.

SHYAM RAO. HUBLI:
Many people have asked you this question. Now it is my turn. What’s happening to Anupam Kher the actor?
Anupam Kher is very much alive. He has done almost 284 films in the fifteen years that he has been around. Don’t you think he needs a break? I am still active but not as active as I used to be. Too many things to do to run an empire of my own, J Radical. But worry not, Anupam, the complete actor, will come back this time and will be the kind of actor that no one seen till now, that’s my promise.

DHARAM MEHTA, PUNJAB:
What’s Dev Sahab’s message on his 79th birthday?
Why do people think that they are growing old? Why they do celebrate their silver jubilees and golden jubilees? Why can’t they just go on working without worrying about the ups and downs of life. Keep smiling keep other happy, as happy as possible and the world will be a very happy place which is the goal of every human being.