'Zindaggi Rocks' for Shiney Ahuja

At the outset Shiney Ahuja looks relaxed, but there is obviously a lot on his ever-active mind. “I am always thinking,” he smiles. Shiney is on a roll with his performance in ‘Gangster’ being much appreciated. “I feel great and am glad I did a film with the Bhatts. They know how to publicise the film and set it in the right place. It is so important that a film is marketed well, otherwise all your efforts are wasted.”

He should be used to appreciation as not so long ago, his performance in ‘Hazaron Khwahishe Aisi’ (HKA) was also lauded. “Yes, but my roles in both the films are so different. In ‘HKA’ I play a normal guy who runs away at the sight of anything dangerous and in ‘Gangster’ I am just the opposite. Hence, it was a great challenge.”

Now, he’s all set to play a doctor in BAG films’ ‘Zindaggi Rocks’ and what’s more, Sushmita Sen plays his love interest. “Sushmita is one of the warmest people I have met in the industry. She is very friendly but she’s also very sensitive. If I was troubled or tense about something, she would know it without me having to tell her. She would directly ask me, ‘Hey, what’s wrong with you?’ That’s amazing.”

Shiney, who has Sudhir Mishra’s next film and Mahesh Bhatt’s upcoming ‘Woh Lamhe’ in hand, says what he likes best about the film industry is its forgiving nature. “I have made many mistakes, but the industry has given me second and third chances. I love this place for accepting me the way I am.” He says he isn’t averse to playing up to the right people if it helps his career, “I don’t see anything wrong with being nice to people. I always try and say positive things, as every individual likes hearing nice things about oneself.”

Shiney’s personal life may have taken a bit of a backseat as his wife is in USA, practising medicine. “Why can’t long distance marriages work? Ours does,” he says, rubbishing rumours of his involvement with a woman director. “My wife is brilliant at what she does. I don’t want her to sit at home , doing nothing, just because she is married to me,” he adds.

As for his mantra, Shiney says, “Most things are possible if you put your heart into it. Just the other day someone told me I should be grateful to my parents for my looks. I said, ‘I am grateful to my parents, but a lot has to do with me too. I do so much to maintain my looks.”

s_shubha@dnaindia.net