This whole arithmetic of speculation about the crores riding on your films etc -do you think such speculation is unfair and unwarranted?
Pardon my saying so, but this is a famous and constant refrain instigated and initiated by the media. I do not claim to possess sufficient media guile to assess why the media does so. They would know best. I can merely conjecture what the reason is. I would happily divulge. But knowing the very committed but completely erroneous belief by the media on my bias against it, I would rather keep it to myself. Or, well, perhaps confide about it to my blog !!

Have you begun work on Teen Patti? What do you play in the film?
We had begun work when I took ill. When I resume it shall be with Teen Patti, I play a Mathematics professor.

Drona, a fantasy story with seamless special effects failed to impress; your observations.
Yes, it did not do well. The story line was thin and it was made thinner by stretching it to endless boundaries. Whatever needed to be said was taking too long to say. Whatever needed to be seen was being shown for too long. In today's world of rapidity it was an error to play on that. The special effects were marvellous and stunning. They possessed a quality never seen before on the Indian screen. But special effects do not make a film. They may add to it but cannot form its only attraction. Sometimes in life when you come across a good thing, you tend to obsess on it. The maker OD'd on this one. That was the mistake. And, as is the norm, once the product fails everything and everyone attached to it fails and found fault with.

You have been characteristically calm and dignified in the face of Raj Thackeray's unkind remarks about your UP origins …is it that your political experience in the past makes you better prepared than most on dealing with such situations?
I have no political experience to talk of, least of all one that would prepare me to deal with the kind of situations that you refer to. Indeed, I believe politics is a perpetual process. You can never be firmly prepared for anything that it throws up. Look around you and you will appreciate what I say. Politics compels you to take sides and the moment you do that you start building a stage for confrontation. Characteristic calm and dignity has no place in that world. They fly out of the window at the first instance.
I am happy that I am not in politics. Politics does not cause me any problems. Contrarily, many politicians seem to find me to be the cause of their problems !!

From the IT department's excessive interest in your financial matters when you were in the hospital last time to recent bouquets and statements of concern from the Prime Minister and President…Do you perceive a change in attitudes with changing political realities?
Why would you attempt to equate two entirely inconsequential matters? The Prime Minister wrote to me even the last time I was in hospital, as did several other political dignitaries. I would like to believe their concern for me was of a more humanitarian nature than something political. I would be terribly disappointed if it was. Also, by suggesting through question, that perceived change in attitudes come with changing political realities, you grossly violate the very noble and honourable belief of democratic jurisprudence. Simply put, you are insinuating, by suggestion, that if one is politically-connected favourably, then the IT department would not show excessive interest in your financial matters and vice-versa. But that would be a profound violation of all democratic principles indoctrinated in our most respected constitution. The law of the land, designed over the articles of our constitution, is supreme and above everything. No politics can and should have the liberty to rise above it!

Will Gandhis and Bachchans come together again as friends?
I cannot understand why that would be of any interest to Screen, an entertainment industry journal, even if I were to believe the assumptions in your question to be entirely correct and true.

What do you have to say about the recent incidents in Mumbai of intolerance towards people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in particular?
India is the only nation in the world that refers to itself in the female gender. We respectfully call it Bharat Mata. There can never be any inequality in the heart of a Mother towards its progeny, its children. We are all, the children of India. Of Bharat Ma. No matter which corner of this great country we come from, we are firstly and lastly proud Indians. We live and reside in the heart of this most benevolent Mother with respect and dignity. Hurting each other as her children will tantamount to hurting our Mother. No child would ever want to do that. Should want to do that.

The overwhelming concern about your health and the accompanying fallout-does it, on occasions, become troublesome?
What is troublesome is the anguish it causes to immediate family and friends and the anxiety among those that admire and show love for me. I would never want to be in a situation where this would become imperative, but nature has different ideas and we cannot fight it. I feel embarrassed by the media-hype following such occurrences and at the same time deeply humbled by the concern and care of well-wishers.

The fallout is, of course, in the realm of a great deal of advice on how I should be conducting my life, with particular emphasis on health. No one invites ill health and I think most of us when made aware of a medical condition, do exercise necessary precaution. I certainly do. But we are all in possession of the human form, which we all know operates and functions according to natures dictate. We can exercise caution, but will not be able to control an eventuality.

The other fallout is work and profession driven - commerce, schedules etc. This is regrettable. Yes there are serious financial concerns and amends are made. But the industry has had an extremely large heart as far as my ventures and I are concerned. I am obliged for that. But there has never been an occasion when I have not either warned them of the possibility of my condition, especially after my 1982 'Coolie' episode, or volunteered for alternatives as a replacement. Some, in these circumstances, have opted for change and done away with me, others have not and have persisted. I am grateful to both.

Now that AB Corp's deal with Reliance Big Entertainment has been formalised, is the company project-ready?
I do not know what you mean by 'company project'. Our association is to work together in the field of entertainment as a joint venture. In this we have put together several projects, formalities for which are over and work is about to begin on them.

Are your films with Balki, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Abhishek's with Rohan Sippy AB Corp productions? For that matter was Drona, a home production, so to speak?
Our aim is to work in as many projects possible for mutual benefit, with the option of no compulsions on either side. Yes we will want to bring as many projects as we can under the AB Corp umbrella and vice-versa. The films you talk of are under consideration and we shall only be in a position to talk about them once everything is in place. At the same time there are many others that are already approved and will be functional in due course.

Drona was never ever considered as a home production, nor was there ever any funding put in by us as a family or a company. A fact that has, contrarily, been wrongly yet gleefully played upon by the Fourth Estate.

Has there been any proposal or suggestions of starring in an Aamir Khan-directed film? Were he to ask, would you agree?
No. The only proposal that I have heard of has come from the media ! Yes, if he were to ask I would express great desire. Subject to script satisfaction of course.

You are also a part of Talismaan, supposedly being planned along the lines of Lord Of The Rings-what would be a learning from Drona for those embarking on such brave projects?
I am uncertain as I write on being a part of Talismaan but, that apart, I do not think you can generalise on future projects by using Drona as an example. If you would, however, insist on doing so I would be happy if you would also clarify why every love story, or every triangular love story, or every gangster story, or every action story, or every musical or historical has not fallen prey to an unsuccessful box office.

Bhootnath, Aladdin-what's the challenge in doing these roles?
The challenge of getting another job at age 67 !!

The Last Lear had you play a theatre actor-would you contemplate doing a play?
It would be a terrifying challenge, one that I do not feel qualified to encounter at this point of my life.

You are a prolific blogger and all of us love to read your posts-so how does it feel to now be known not just as an iconic actor but an excellent writer too?
My excellence will not be judged by others; with due respect. Your love for my posts and your generous proclamations of my writing skills as also my unacceptable iconic epithets, are yours. I will not acknowledge them because in my judgement they are too obtuse. I am happy to be known as another common man with very average and mediocre abilities.

Also, when are we likely to see your posts in the form of a book?
Another embarrassing moment. It would be foolish of me to assume that anyone would be interested in my blogs being printed into a book. Its likelihood therefore is not up for consideration.

The best compliment you have received in recent times?
"Thank God you are not a journalist!"

It is said that you have wicked sense of humour-true or false?
I am terrible at gauging my personal attributes!

Is there any genre that you particularly fancy?
The genre of both creative and box-office satisfaction!

Are you also a part of Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Broken Horses?
Never heard of this.

You were in talks with a television channel for a game show-has there been any development on that front?
Yes I am in talks. There is confirmation on the desire to do, but not in what to do.

When can we expect the next World Tour?
The World Tour is an ongoing event. Its first leg is over. Other legs to other parts of the world shall get operational now.