Akshay Kumar? He's just a friend now: Shilpa Shetty

Wearing a smiley, she is on a promotional spree for Apne, which will be premiered at the IIFA Awards ceremony in the U K next month. Helloes exchanged, I want to know:

Will there be anything for you to do in Apne which toplines the Deols?
Well, it’s a casting coup as you know and I’m glad to be part of it. When Neeraj Pathak, the writer of the movie, narrated the script to me, I had tears in my eyes.. it’s a very emotionals story. Not that my role is earth-shattering.. but sometimes it’s important to do a prestigious film.

You’ve worked with the Deols individually before.Was it any different this time?
Dharamji is lovable, I want to give him a hug.. he plays my father-in-law…(laughs ) and really, he’d make an ideal father-in-law. When I started shooting for Apne, Dharamji wasn’t in Metro. It was the time I was working with him.. that’s why I wanted to do Apne.

Substantial hype was built around you during Metro, but Irrfan Khan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Sharman Joshi walked away with the praise.
Those who have seen the film have appreciated my performance. The characters played by the actors you’ve named have comic elements.. so it’s easier for the audience to like them instantly. My character had a strong undercurrent..a woman striking a friendship with a man outside marriage.. it had to be kept subtle otherwise it could have gone totally black.. and dark.

So why’s Shiney Ahuja upset with you for praising Kay Kay Menon in Metro?
I must say the rumour mongers are working overtime. Shiney and Kay Kay are actors of a different temperament.

Overseas, the marketing strategy of Metro was changed to suit your new found status after Big Brother win. Despite that, the film didn’t work abroad.
It’s not a conventional film. I got calls from friends, saying there were firangs sitting in the theatres to watch the film. I don’t know why, but I guess the audience expected it to be something that it wasn’t.

Stories of how you bagged Big Brother still persist. How did it happen?
A lot has been said and written about that.. It came to me through Jazz, who contacted Bobby Khan, who in turn got in touch with me, as a friend. After I went in the Big Brother house, it became an entirely different issue. I’ve no clue what Bobby had in mind. I’m not taking any credit away from him.. he did suggest my name.. but if he expected more than what was discussed, then I really don’t know what to say.