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‘Shahid has great potential’

“I know people would be curious to know what we’re making together. That would be a big USP for me. Shahid has great potential. People have always seen him as a chocolate-box hero. But in Kaminey we could see another side of him,” Pankaj said.

“Shahid’s USP are his dancing skills and fluent diction. For Mausam, I required an actor with range. I’ve a gut feeling my son is going to surprise not just the audience but also me,” he added.

“The idea was to do something meaty and challenging. We’re into pre-production right now. I’ve written a lot of scripts which I couldn’t direct and could only star in. When Shahid became an actor, he expressed a desire to be directed by me, I thought it’d be wonderful to work with my own son.

“But I signed him only after I saw the potential in him. We’ve been working on the script for three years. Meanwhile, a really wonderful thing has happened. Shahid became a big star. I’m very proud of him as his father. And Shahid’s stardom is good for Mausam.”

Though the original plan was to only direct the film Pankaj Kapoor has now decided to make an appearance in the film as well. “It would be an Alfred Hitchcockian kind of fleeting appearance. But I’d largely like to concentrate on making the film and stay behind the camera,” he said.

The actor refuses to divulge details about his directorial debut. “It’s a love story and we don’t want any of the details being picked up by other filmmakers. I plan to bring my own sensibilities together with Shahid’s,” said Pankaj.

“It’s rather sad that I’ve been dubbed an offbeat actor. But whenever given an opportunity I’ve done mainstream cinema. I’ve nothing against commercial cinema as long as the rendering of the story is sensible.”