Warming up to the analogy, he adds: " There’s a part of me in every character I play, whether it is Abhay or Jai, or Karan of Khushi or Lucky of Janasheen. You cannot pull off a role convincingly, until you give yourself to it in some measure. At the same time, I cannot afford to be Fardeen Khan all the way because the director always has a certain character in mind."

To industry observers, Fardeen is no longer the impulsive and rather, tentative brat who made his debut in papa Feroz Khan’s home production. Prem Aggan three years ago. Today, he is a mature individual who weighs every word he utters and is eminently conscious of letting his defences down.

Sample this: "A decade ago, the three Khans — Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir — exploded on the scene and changed the very face of the Hindi film hero. They injected fresh blood into our cinema. Today, the cycle they started is complete. The audience again is ready for something new..."

Another one: "In the last few years, most of the movies we churned out were predictable. I am not saying that we should turn away from formula completely. Formula films will still be around, but at the same time we should be able to spring a few surprises of our own. People are not just looking for entertainment, but also something novel and meaningful. They want value for their money."

When asked to compare between his favourite producers D. Rama Naidu and Vashu Bhagnani: "One is known to be very budget conscious while the other has a reputation for being flamboyant. But neither wastes money. Their beliefs and work ethics stem from their experiences. You can’t discuss them frivolously!"

Fardeen acknowledges that he is no longer the carefree star son who took to films for a lark. In the past three years he has taken his knocks in life, whether it is the loneliness that accompanies a box-office dud, or an incident like being nabbed in a narcotics case for possession of cocaine.

But more than that, he values the confidence he has gained about himself after working in films as varied as Pyar Tune Kya Kiya and Jungle to Hum Ho Gaye Aapke and Kitne Door Kitne Paas. "This time there’s a lot I can bring to the table as an actor." he says of his father’s next home production, Janasheen.

"There’s also a lot more understanding of his craft and mine from the time I did Prem Aggan," he adds. "I no longer badger him with 1001 annoying questions. This makes his job easier. After all,he sees cinema as a medium of entertainment. Not all his films have worked, but they have always aimed to thrill. His characters are larger than life, people you look up to." MF