FARDEEN KHAN
Khan't keep him down

Fardeen Khan is on a high these days. While the year started out embroiling him in a controversy that threatened his career, his films continued to garner heavy audience support establishing the dashing young star as a Khan to reckon with in Bollywood.

Having favourably put his past behind him, and gearing up for a bright future, Fardeen is immersed in work being one of the busiest actors in the industry, with a spate of consecutive hits like Jungle, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya and Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega to his credit.

To top it all, he has newly inherited the mantle of brand ambassador for the fashion house Provogue from John Abraham. Despite his current success, the actor seems firmly entrenched in reality, his charm unabated by his earlier misfortunes, and his honesty ringing true in his humble manner.

Seated comfortably in the splendour of his plush Juhu residence, Fardeen appears completely at peace with himself and the world at large. He talks eagerly about his latest film Hum Ho Gaye Aap Ke. “Watch out for my role in this film.” He says confidently. “It’s a character that I’ve never had the opportunity to play before.”

There is enough evidence that he enjoys his work. You can see it play on his face when he talks about his much-awaited new release. “It’s a very entertaining film. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of working on it. It was an interesting experience.” So much so, that he is working with director Ahatian on his latest venture even before the box office verdict of Hum Ho Gaye Aap Ke. “We got along famously on a professional level. When he (Ahatian) first approached me with the script of HHGAK, I was extremely impressed with his narration of the story. I could see that he had completely envisioned the film in his mind. The conception of the film was complete. I knew after that meeting that I was going to be part of it.”

What does he foresee as the film’s fate with the audience? “Well, one can never tell about these things.” He states matter-of-factly. “We’ve tried our best to make a good film. But to predict how my movies will fare at the box-office is something I try not to do. To be honest, my schedule has been so packed these last few months that I haven’t even seen some of my films like Jungle or Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya. I’ve just been too busy working on my other projects.”

But doesn’t the pressure of work bog him down anymore? “It’s hard.” He admits candidly. “But one has to learn to cope with it. The beginning of my career was especially tough for me. Its not easy to slip into the character of one film, and then promptly slip out of it and move on to the next one when you are doing several films at one time.” How does he deal with it? “You eventually learn to manage your schedules better. See that dates don’t crisscross and go crazy. And given time and some amount of experience you learn to de-stress and work your way around it without compromising on the quality of your performance.”

The recent conflict over his substance abuse seems to have brought to his personality a new maturity and introspection. “That was a really difficult time for me. Especially amidst all that media glare it got very disconcerting. But what got me through the entire ordeal was my family’s undivided support. They were with me all the way. I can’t begin to express how much their presence meant to me.”

What does he do on his days off? “I take time out and unwind by myself.” He says somberly. “It’s a good way to relax, especially in a profession as stressful as mine.”

He visibly brightens up when we talk about his foray into the world of fashion as the new ambassador for Provogue. “There are different expectations from me this time.” He smiles looking all set to pick up where John Abraham left off. “It wasn’t entirely unexpected. I had been approached by Provogue a long time ago. In fact we had been discussing the details for over six months. So I wasn’t exactly surprised by it. No.”

How does it feel to be the latest fashion icon for today’s youth? “It most certainly is exciting.” He says. “But there are a set of responsibilities that go with being in this position. I mean, it’s great to know that I have a face and an image that the youngsters of our country can recognise and relate to instantly. It’s extremely humbling too. I have to set the standards of dress and design that they can follow. It’s a whole new challenge.”

Fardeen, by his own admission however is not much of a clotheshorse. “I dress essentially for comfort yaar.” He states. “My profession does not permit me to step out often, so I normally get my designer Shahid Amir to get me most of my clothes.” Does his new association with Provogue change his wardrobe? “I saw a lot of Provogue designs when I was shooting for them and I thought that most of them were really good. I even selected a few for my personal wear. So yeah, I guess I will be wearing a lot of it in the future.”

And what does the future have in store for this promising star? “Oh, the audience is going to see plenty of me over the next few months. I am doing another film with Ahathian that I told you about earlier on. Besides that there is Anupam Kher's Om Jai Jagdish, Mehul Kumar's Kitne Door Kitne Paas, D Rama Naidu’s Kuch Tum Kaho Kuch Hum Kahe, Boney Kapoor's Khushi and of course a film with my father Feroz Khan.

I’m also working on other films with Anees Bazmee, and another with Subir Mukherji, and three to four new projects that are still under negotiation. So I’m looking forward to a really busy and fruitful year ahead.”

Judging by his current streak at the box office, he sure seems headed in the right direction.