Is there any particular reason that you wanted to do an action-packed, violent film like Ghajini?
I got attracted to the film because of the story and the emotional content. I saw the Tamil version and found it to be an edge of the seat thriller and extremely engrossing. Later when I met the director Murugadoss his enthusiasm and energy rubbed off on me and that helped me make up my mind to do the film.

But didn't you find it rather aggressive?
See we all go through different emotions, including extreme anger. We also want to take revenge if some one has harmed us or our family, but we don't do it because we do not want to take the law into our hands. So when we see someone do it on screen there is an immense satisfaction. Ghajini is a vendetta story of a man who wants to avenge his wife's murder. I think it will leave the audience feeling satiated.

Is the film a replica of the Tamil version?
It is 80 per cent like the original and only the last 30 minutes are completely different.

Everyone, including Salman Khan, is talking about your eight-pack abs in the film.
Salman is the original fitness king who has inspired all of us. He’s just being kind to me by saying that. Anyway fitness is not about six-or eight-pack abs, it is about being healthy.

An otherwise reclusive person, you seem to be going out of your way to market Ghajini.
I am not being any more aggressive in my marketing than I am for my other films. I also went all out to market Taare Zameen Par and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. But each film needs a different approach. Like Taare Zameen Par was a small, sensitive film that required a different marketing. Ghajini on the other hand is a huge commercial entertainer and needs to be marketed in a big way.

You sport a lot of tattoos in Ghajini. Do you believe in the tattoo culture?
No ! I’m not a tattoo person.

In Ghajini the audience will see a new aggressive side of Aamir Khan. Is there pressure on you to portray a new character every time?
No! Even though I know expectations from me are very high, I don’t feel the pressure when I take on a film. When I am choosing a film all I am concerned is how much the subject excites me. It is only when the film is releasing that I wonder how the audience will like it. That’s the time I get nervous.

How true is the allegation that you take on the directorial reins even when you are only supposed to act in a film?
That’s an old allegation which is completely untrue. I never interfere with the director’s vision.

When will you direct a film again?
I start shooting for 3 Idiots in January , and the film will wrap up in July. After that I will take a break, and only then will I plan to sit down and think about my next directorial venture.

How important is your part in 3 Idiots?
Each of the five characters is very important to the story. Anyway, I never had any inhibitions about acting in a multi-starrer if the story appeals to me. Dil Chahata Hai is an example.

Is acting in your wife Kiran’s Dhobi Ghaat a clever marketing strategy to sell the film or were you there from the conception stage?
I was not involved with the film from the conception stage, nor in the scripting. It is only later when we started bouncing ideas about the project that I got involved. Kiran is my partner and I am supporting her with her work, like she did when I was making Jaanu Tu…As for my acting in the film, well I am not saying anything. We shall talk about it when the film is due for release.

How do you find Prateik as a performer?
Outstanding! Initially I did not know that Prateik was cast in Jaane Tu… Then when I saw the first cut, even though every actor was good, I thought that he stood out with his screen presence. . Prateik has that intangible quality about him that connects with the audience. And Kiran is very happy with his work in Dhobi Ghaat.

Why did you opt out of acting in your home production Delhi Belly?
I was rolling on the floor after the narration of Delhi Belly and wanted to act in it. But it was a role that required me to put on weight and I would have to wait for 3 Idiots to finish before starting working on my physique. That would have been too late, as today the film is well under way.

Will you and Salman Khan be working together in the sequel to Andaz Apna Apna?
We are looking forward to working with each other again. But first Rajkumar Santoshi has to write the script, we both have to like it and only then can we act in it!

In real life, you and Shah Rukh Khan seem to bond very well. Why the sarcastic remarks in public?
Shah Rukh and I have great regards for each other. It’s just that the media takes an extreme stand of everything, whether we say anything in private or public.

According to you, what are the chances of Taare Zameen Par winning at the Oscars?
I hope it does well. In fact I was surprised when the chairman of the Foreign Language category called me to tell me that he liked the film. That does not however mean that it will be nominated, but for a person who barely knows me to call and say that made me very happy.

You seem to be very supportive of the V Shantaram awards.
I have the highest regard for Mr V Shantaram and his work. He is an institution in himself.