Aryan’s character does fit the space of the villain that John’s role was in Dhoom, Hrithik

Are you bored with the kind of characters you have been playing in your career?

Yeah... I was quite bored. I was stuck at one end of the spectrum where I was doing this good boy, good son, good brother, and good lover…kind of roles. Though they are quite enjoyable but it was time to take the big leap towards the other end of the spectrum. For a long time, I have been looking for something exciting to do. Then Adi (Aditya Chopra) spoke to me about the film, and Sanjay Gadhvi narrated the story. The success of Dhoom motivated a sequel, but what really propelled me into doing the film, was the inherent script of Dhoom 2. So that really was my calling card.

• Do you have 16 disguises to con people in the film?

I can’t talk about the number of disguises I have in the film, but I must admit that the make-up experts that they brought in from London were people with a magic wand. I was transformed into another human being. It was fun.

• People believe you have replaced John Abraham in this film. Was it a challenge to step into John’s shoes?

I think every film is a challenge. Aryan’s character does fit the space of the villain that John’s role was in Dhoom but it’s got nothing to do with it. It’s a completely different world and I would say that if we’ve gone a notch higher with Dhoom 2, it’s not satisfying enough, it needs to be ten notches higher for it to actually make a mark. That’s what I am hoping for.

• Considering you are image conscious, what prompted you to accept a negative role?

I don’t really see Aryan as negative, I see him on the wrong side of the law. Aryan seems to be a guy who has this secret mission of freeing the world of all objects of desire that install feelings of greed, create politics and feed the ego. According to him, these are the things that come in the way of truly caring about someone. So I don’t really see him as a villain. And his modus operandi is very unique because he does it with such a flair that really makes him out to be someone you want to be.

• Finally you get to work with Aishwarya Rai, though she was considered for Krrish. How was your working experience?

Oh, it was great working with Ash and Bips. Ash, on her part is concerned with the entire film and not just her role in isolation. Her talent surpasses her beauty. So it’s been an inspiring, engrossing and exciting experience. In fact, we all bonded extremely well in Rio. Abhishek, Ash, Bipasha, Uday and I used to take walks on the beach and even swim. Imagine, all of us swimming in Rio with not a care in the world because nobody knew us there. It was phenomenally exhilarating.

• Ever since the promos have been aired, you have emerged as the coolest dude in town, thus replacing John Abraham?

(Laughs) I would not like to comment on my comparison with John. But I really want to say one thing about the look and that is that the true hero of this film is Anaita. The hard work and effort she has taken in styling each character in the film is amazing. For me, it’s been such an exciting leap to be grungy, relaxed, easy-going along with being calculating and agile. I think style is when you wear stuff that makes you feel more of yourself. I think that’s what creates an individual outlook and that’s what makes you stand apart from the crowd because it’s individual and not because you are following some trend or fashion verdict. So that’s what Anaita has done.

• Abhishek and you have been childhood friends, but after Main Prem Ki Diwani, you never worked together. In this film you are foes. Which experience was better?

We would never be foes in real life. Abhishek and I have grown up together and we wish the best for each other. Working in this film made me decide on working with him once in every two years. Simply because working with him has been very fulfilling, since he’s a good person and he radiates that. Both of us are devoid of egos. How much time do you spend watching the success or the reaction to a film? A day or two. So what your life is actually about is the process of making these films, and it’s important to enjoy those moments.

• Is it true that you bonded better with Uday?

Uday and me go back a really long way. The last thing that I thought we would do together is face the camera. Right from the second standard he and I have been together in every single thing that we have done, if there was something that I learnt, he has learnt it too. Be it karate, computer classes, college, school, tuition, sports everything. So doing a film with him was just an extension of the same.

* Abhishek, Ash, Bipasha, Uday and I used to take walks on the beach and even swim. Imagine, all of us swimming in Rio with not a care in the world because nobody knew us there. It was phenomenally exhilarating.