‘Tags have never really mattered to me’

This is the first time that I have given comedy a shot. I had been offered a couple of comedy movies before this but it did not work for me. But when Madhur came to me with Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji’s (DTBHJ) story, I was convinced that this has to be the first movie to begin my experiment. It was brilliant acting in this movie though I must say that making people laugh is not an easy task. I did have to work hard and be very attentive in this one.

Who’s the funniest person you’ve come across?

For me right now, Madhur Bhandarkar is the funniest guy I have met. When you see his past work, you feel that this man might be spending a lot of time thinking and being very serious about life as it were. But trust me, he does all that and still has a great sense of humour. His comic timing in real life is brilliant and I guess that is how he has managed to pull off DTBHJ brilliantly.

Your role shows you as a free-willed casanova; doesn’t this strengthen your ‘serial kisser’ tag?

Trust me these tags have never really mattered to me. I have never walked up to anyone and said that tag me with this title or that. People just like to attach adjectives to people. I am playing a character that might sound like some of the characters that I have played in the past, but this one is different. And you will see the difference when you see the movie.

Did you ever go through the phase that Abhay went through in his life – the no commitment phase?

I did commit myself, but yes I guess every guy goes through a no commitment phase. And then you come across someone you really want to spend the rest of your life with. So for me that phase really stopped when I met my wife Parveen.

Were you ever a flirt?

I think healthy and innocent flirting should be a part of everyone’s basic personality as long as one is within his/her limits. I still catch my wife off guard sometimes and flirt with her.

Post-marriage, what’s the difference that you see in Emraan today?

I guess marriage should be called the ‘phew’ phase of every person. I say ‘phew’ because before marriage one does just about everything – studying, struggling for work and having a crazy time with friends. Marriage calms one down and settles them in a good way. Having said that, I like the Emraan I used to be and I like the Emraan I am right now.

Are Parveen and Ayaan the stabilising factors in your life?

Oh most definitely. Parveen is my strength; she understands me really well and is always very supportive. Ayaan on the other hand, is my bundle of joy. That little man just makes my world a better place to live.

Which are the other projects you’re working on?

After Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji, I will get busy with the shooting of Murder 2. And then there are some other projects that I can only talk about when they are finalised.