"I am privileged as a star son": Imran Khan

"I had informed the director that the role of my brother couldn't go to some run-of-the-mill actor; it needed someone who could act and wouldn't come across as a complete moron on screen standing next to me and Katrina Kaif. The character needed plausibility to define why the actress would choose one brother over the other," came the bold statement from an actor who has only a handful of films to his credit, but a lifetime of experience courtesy his lineage in the Indian film industry.

And yes, if the actor's statement bears shades of intellect that only sounds plausible of the likes of Aamir Khan, then he can be excused, after all, his uncle has been a great influence on the relatively young Imran Khan since the start of his career.

For those not in the know, Imran launched his Bollywood innings in his uncle's home production, "Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na", which, needless to say, went on to become a runaway hit.

Today, the younger Khan is a force to reckon with, considering his previous two films, "I Hate Luv Storys" and the cult hit, "Delhi Belly", has turned him into a bankable star.

"If I am considered a good enough actor today, then it's largely because of my background," he said. "Acting talent is something you possess, not something you learn."

So, are those acting schools run by celebs across India a waste of money?

"What I mean is, acting can only be mastered after working in the trenches and that comes from years of experience," he explained.

By Khan's logic, that certainly spells doom for all those non star sons and daughters who've dreamed of entering the Indian film industry on merit or via the casting couch alone.

"I won't deny that my family background as a star child has given me an advantage in the industry; but to make it, I have to prove my mettle," Khan added.

The actor, who was in Abu Dhabi on September 7 for the world premiere of his film "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan", the very same production that saw him offer creative inputs to the director in terms of casting, was a romcom that Khan had almost passed over.

"When I first received the script, the name of the film seemed so cheesy that I simply tucked it away in my bedroom and promptly forgot about it," he revealed.

"It was by sheer coincidence that while I was away on shoot, my mother, who is an ardent reader, unearthed the script and decided that it was a film I must do considering she couldn't stop laughing three pages into it."

Khan describes the film as your "everyday situational humour that most people get."

Vocal about his opinion about the state of (read lack of) comic timing  in most Bollywood films - he is the very same guy who went on record that movies such as "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" make him angry - Khan admits that many filmmakers don't know the right formula for humour in movies.

"By large, Bollywood humour is slapstick, with actors speaking loudly into the screen, hoping their overacting will bring forth the laughs even if the jokes didn't," he said. "And while that works for some, the sensibility of the cine audience has changed and people are demanding the real deal."

The actor, who got married earlier this year to his long-time girlfriend Avantika, said ultimately, good or bad you can make a scene work if your co-stars are in sync with you and in that respect, he is completely charmed by Kaif.

"A shoot can be all fun and games, but you also have to act in between and deliver the project," he said. "In that I have to say, Katrina is an ace. Not only is she a dedicated star who up until a few years ago spoke not a word of Hindu, but now has mastered the language, but also her acting prowess continues to stun us all.

"Watch "Mere Brother Ki Dulhan" for her, if nothing else."
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