You are now so well known as Circuit so do you think people will accept you in this completely different image?

I think so, I think Circuit is just a character that I played in one movie and everybody loved it so much that therefore it stuck in people’s head, but I have to keep continually doing films so…and I feel an actor only gets accepted or not depending on the work he does. So if I have done a good job, people like my work, yes I’m accepted no matter what character I am playing.

What was it like working with John?

With John it was absolutely fantastic, it might sound very clichéd that one actor says this about his co-star, but John is absolutely a wonderful man, he’s really really a pleasure to work with, he’s a great human being, and he’s fun and absolutely a delight to work with. I am happy I am doing another film with him, and hopefully a few more. The feeling I get working with John is the feeling I get working with Sanju, they are pretty much alike, in the sense John does his work, comes to the set, he has no hang ups, he has no problems, I like that. I like the fact that everybody should come do their job and go back and cut out all the crap that really goes around.

Kabul Express has been to several festivals like Toronto, PUSAN, London, what was it like representing Indian cinema in the international forum?

Very nice in fact I am very proud that the first film that I have done went for the international festival, and it was Kabul Express, because I personally am a bit against art films that happen and go for the festivals they normally portray India in a very very sad manner, it’s always poverty, it’s the huts and bullock carts …the misery, that’s all one sees. I am very proud that Kabul Express gives people an idea that, that’s not what India is all about. Just 2 regular guys who are regular people, we are educated, we live in cities, yes we’ve got airports, we have everything. I feel really bad because what we give out is what people accept, that’s the picture they always get, is that this is what India is all about..misery. Kabul completely negates that, and we really know what India is all about.

What was the reaction of your family when they heard that you would be shooting in post Taliban Afghanistan?

My family actually consists of Maria and Zeke, so Maria was a little apprehensive, but not quite, she knows me and she knows Kabir, and she knows that Kabir will not jeopardize anybody’s life in the unit. Yes, there was always tension, there has to be because you are going to a place which has been fighting for years 25 years so yes there is going to be fear which I knew I would do it anyway because I like the script so much no matter what

Kabir said you knew about Kabul Express rite from the scripting stage? What is it about the film that excited you at that stage?

I had heard another script from Kabir Forgotten army and it was an outstanding script a very very good script and I know I am capable and aware of Kabir capabilities so that script was so good that I knew whenever this guy ever makes a movie he will make a very good film and he started writing Kabul Express and before even he could finish it I was on and I said yes I would do it because I knew he would always write a very good sensible script and he will always make a very good sensible cinema.

Tell us a little about your experiences while shooting in Kabul for Kabul Express.

It was exciting, I will be very honest and I had a blast. I enjoyed myself in spite of the fact that we were confined to one hotel where you could not step out there was nowhere to go. We used to just get into the car to go to the location for the shoot and get back to in the hotel. I enjoyed myself and was so excited going to Kabul because it was a place one would never go ever. I was going to a place which I would be going for the first and last time in my life so I just wanted to soak into everything that was there. I went out to the markets, to the streets, to the street vendors and chatted up with the people and I did everything that nobody would really do. I love the place, the people, everything over there. I was so fascinated with Afghanisthan. There are ten year old kids with maturity on their face of a fifty year old man. There are fifty year old men who behave like children. Its outstanding how they constantly face the fear of death. You will never see them unhappy or sad ever as they are always smiling. There is so much of trouble that you can see more AK 47 then mobiles phones.

From the Promos what ever we could make out you come across as playing a comic character can you tell us more about your character

I am playing a character who has a sense of humour. He’s not comical. It’s just that he has a good sense of humor and he cracks his little fatas here and there. Apart from that Kabir really wanted that light heartedness in the film because the story is so grim and serious that he wanted that aspect of comedy.