Will a comedy by Shyam Benegal only make the audience laugh or there will be something more to it?
I would definitely not make something mindless. My film will be connected to life and leave something behind for the audience to take home. But there is no reason to look down on other comedies. After all, comedies are of various kinds, including sitcoms, satirical and plain laugh-riots.

Tell us about Mahadev Ka Sajjanpur?
The idea to make Mahadev came to me several years ago when I noticed an illiterate person at my office. He would get someone to write letters to his wife in the village and she too would get someone to read them and reply back. I was quite intrigued by the thought of a third person being party to a couple’s intimate life. It struck me that comedy can be created around it. In the film, Mahadev is one of the few educated men in a village who makes a living by writing letters for others.

How would you compare today’s actors to the likes of Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi?
Acting is not a race where we are looking for a champion; it’s a question of which actor fits a role. I find the actors of today as talented and committed as the actors of yore.

How did you think of casting Amrita Rao and Shreyas Talpade in Mahadev?
They are young, talented and suitable for their respective roles. Amrita with her fragile and innocent look was right for the role of the village girl Kamala, and Shreyas for the rustic Mahadev. Also this character had to have a sense of comedy, which Shreyas has. In fact it’s an ensemble film and each actor fits his role perfectly.

You wanted to cast Shah Rukh Khan in your forthcoming film Chamki, which is based on George Bizet’s Spanish opera, but have now opted for Jimmy Shergill. Are mainstream actors a misfit for off-beat cinema?
Shah Rukh Khan is a charismatic actor and can lift any project by his presence and charisma. I wanted him for my film but things did not work out. And it’s not true that mainstream actors are a misfit for off-beat cinema. It’s just that their image is so overpowering that when they attempt different kind of cinema it tends to affect their career.

It is reported that you wanted to cast Hrithik Roshan for your forthcoming film, Buddha.
Hrithik is talented and one of our top actors but I haven’t approached him for the role. The script of Buddha will take time to get ready and only when the complete script is in my hand, I will think of the casting.

Who among the current crop of filmmakers impresses you?
Shimit Amin, Anurag Kashyap and Nagesh Kukunoor are some of the filmmakers whose style of storytelling is impressive. This is an excellent time for unconventional filmmakers, you can say a dream situation, because audiences are so open to the idea of watching different kinds of cinema. I wish I was 25 years old, and set to start my career today.