If Gaurav is to be believed, the film has an international look to it —"In the way it has been shot, the pace of the story, the shooting in Panavision, the sync-sound, and the fact that it has no heroine to muddle up matters."

Kaante was shot in just a 40-day schedule. Of course, being part of this extremely professional set-up would have been an experience in itself. "Of course, it was. We got to see and learn how Hollywood operates, their discipline, organisation skills. We learned a lot of lessons in there."

As for himself, he hopes that seeing him in his latest role, filmmakers will offer him mature roles with definite characterisation. "I obviously cannot play a college kid; what I would love to do is mature love stories."

But that's in the future. Going by Gaurav's track record, films have always somehow gone wrong for him, with a few exceptions like his debut Love Story in 1981. The last time Gaurav had a semblance of a hit was in 1986, with Naam, in which he starred with brother-in-law Sanjay Dutt.

Most of the films he later worked in—Dil Tujhko Diya, Lovers, All Rounder and Jurrat (his father's production)— did not work. The story continued till Naam, directed by Mahesh Bhatt. Gaurav produced the movie, and although it was one of Bhatt's more critically acclaimed movies, it did nothing for Gaurav.

It is only in the past couple of years that Gaurav has ventured into new pastures, away from films. One of them is Island Holidays, a travel company, and a general sales agency for a Maldives resort. Two other ventures are Aryan Info Media (for Internet telephony), and Saberpoint India (IT services). He also has plans to make animation films and he might get into the director's chair too in future.

The future is not something he has planned. It will happen when it happens. Until then, he is betting on Kaante. —INFS