Thaindian News

By Ruchika Kher
New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) Director-actor Farhan Akhtar learnt how to ride a bike for his upcoming film “Karthik Calling Karthik” and says it was actually “uncool” to do that at 30 plus.

“It was quite uncool for me to learn biking at 30-plus. This is something that people do much earlier,” Farhan told IANS.

“Initially I didn’t bike because my mother had taken a promise from me, since she was always worried that something will happen. I was quite accident-prone. But it was a requirement in the script to ride a bike; so I learnt it,” he added.

“Karthik Calling Karthik” also features Deepika Padukone and Shefali Shah. Produced by Farhan and Ritesh Sidhwani, the film is directed by Vijay Lalwani.

About the film, the 36-year-old said: “The premise of the film is the life of a character. It’s very incomplete and he is very sad and frustrated. Then he starts getting calls and his life begins to change and through the course of the film you realise what these calls are all about and what’s the price he has to pay for these calls.”

The actor was in the capital and interacted with Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM listeners to promote the film that is slated to hit theatres Feb 26.

Farhan, who earlier acted in films like “Rock On!!” and “Luck By Chance”, will share screen space with Deepika for the first time. He said she is a very hardworking actress.

“It’s been a lot of fun working with Deepika. We got along very well while shooting. She is quite on the ball as far as her work is concerned and quite in tune with her character, constantly wanting to improve herself. For this she works very hard.

“She listens a lot to what the director wants and kind of adapts herself that way. It is nice to see someone relatively young trying to keep improving,” said the actor.

On Deepika looking taller than him in the film, Farhan said he didn’t do anything special to look tall.

“I wore heels and she wore flats,” he joked, quickly adding: “On a serious note, I really didn’t do anything. She definitely is a tall girl, but I didn’t do anything to look taller.”

Farhan, son of lyricist Javed Akhtar, was also quick to reject rumours linking him with the 24-year-old actress. “I don’t know why these things happen and are being said. All I can say is that it’s not true and that’s really about it. We are just great friends, that’s it,” he said.

(Ruchika Kher can be contacted at ruchika.k@ians.in)