How would you react to criticisms about your starry song?
I don’t have to say anything because the critics ended up looking foolish. Probably there is a section that considers boring and dark films as aesthetic. Had they been around in the 1970s, they would have trashed Sholay also.

n Did OSO benefit from its so-called hyped rivalry with Saawariya?
I think Saawariya benefitted from the rivalry. But since the two films were to clash on the same day, we had promoted OSO more aggressively and that helped.

What do you think of Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor?
I loved both of them in Saawariya. It’s entirely Ranbir’s film, but Sonam too looked very good. I’d certainly consider them if I ever have roles for them in any of my future films.

Do you plan to cast Shah Rukh Khan in all your movies?
People ask the same question to Karan (Johar) and me. Why not? When the whole world is dying to work with him, why shouldn’t we cast him if he is keen to act for us? I have told him that even if he doesn’t like any of my script in the future, he has to be associated in some capacity, maybe as producer.

People say Shah Rukh Khan has the last word in your films, even though you are the director.
It’s a collective effort. Shah Rukh is a great producer and when it comes to the creative aspect, he takes keen interest in action sequences and special effects. After writing the script and dialogue, I narrate it to him and together we improvise.

Have you learned any lessons from the Manoj Kumar episode?
Yes, that I should add a disclaimer to all my films, saying all characters are fictitious. Manojji probably belongs to a generation that doesn’t take jokes sportingly. However, now everything is fine between us and we even chat on the phone.