How are you coping with the scorching Hyderabad heat?
Work is so much fun here, with all of us enjoying a game of cricket and hanging out together after shooting, that we don’t feel the heat. But still I make sure that I take in a lot of electrolytes and fluids.

Was it the sports aspect of the film that attracted you to Hook Ya Crook?
When UTV gave me the script it was so amazing that I freaked out. It was about this guy Vijay Pradhan, (that’s me) who lands up in jail. All the prisoners love cricket, so he forms a cricket team and the story is how two gangs there get even with each other over cricket. When they told me that David Dhawan would be directing it, I immediately accepted the film, as I had never worked with him before.

How was it working with him?
Awesome! He’s always smiling and is like the sun gives solar energy to the world. He’s the driving force behind all us actors!

The film has an ensemble cast and they all call you ‘guru’.
A great ensemble cast I would say. There is Shreyas Talpade who is an astounding actor, Krishna Abhishek, Kay Kay Menon who understands cinema so well and of course Genelia D’Souza and many more. The first thing I asked for when I came here was a treadmill, mats and a Swiss ball, so that I don’t miss out on my workouts. Soon everybody joined in. Since I started dishing-out tips on fitness and diet, I became their guru!

Besides Mr Lad, Robin Sharma’s coach, you also trained in cricket with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. How was the experience?
He’s the world’s best cricketer, so it couldn’t get better than that. He told me that when you hit out at a ball pick up the bat like you would an axe to chop wood. I value this piece of advice coming from the best cricketer in the world.

What expectations do you have from the film?
Hook Ya Crook will expand my range as an actor and help me reach the single-screen audience. It’s a far bigger improvement after my first comedy Garam Masala. I have also worked very hard on my dance and after watching Hook Ya Crook no one will call me a bad dancer!

There was a report that Tarun Mansukhani is making a sequel to Dostana. Are you excited about it?
Of course, yes. Dostana made me realise that the audience wants to see me act in commercial cinema. The sequel should be interesting as every person at Dharma Productions has his version of how the story should go forward. My version is that the two of us - Abhishek Bachchan and I - are settled down in America and meet again and then…

So it will be the both of you again in the sequel?
I consider Abhi as my most beautiful co-star and I don’t think he can live without me.

Are you really co-producing a film for your friend, ad-maker Sabal Shekawat?
Sabal is my most favourite director and one of the most stylish ones. Way back, he gave me a break in the modelling industry with a soap ad. He also made the Coke ad with Aamir Khan. When he expressed a desire to direct a film, I immediately said I would back him. We will be making an action-thriller. Action is a genre, I have not done before and am keen to do it.

What about New York, your next release?
After all the terror attacks in India and Sri Lanka it’s a very topical film and Kabir’s extensive research and method of tackling the subject has added to the film.

When will Aashayein release?
Hopefully after New York!

Which are the other projects you will be working on?
After Hook… I will start work on Abbas Tyrewala’s 1-800-Love. I’ll start Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet when the script is ready and then there’s Deven Khote’s Film City. That requires only ten days of shooting as I only have a guest appearance. Watch out for Ram Sampath’s music in the film. It’s awesome.

How do you choose your films?
I go by my gut feel and whether it’s No Smoking or Aashayein, I am happy with my choices and stand by all my films.