From a Bengali professor in The Namesake to a Tamil tea vendor in Mumbai Meri Jaan—how do you manage the variety?
I didn’t have the time to do any research to play the vendor. The character was originally planned as a Hindi-speaking person. It was my idea to make him a south Indian so that I could layer my performance with something new in another “poor man” character. These nuances are always in your head if you are an observant person. You just have to access those recorded files and perform.

Which has been your most satisfying performance?
Special films are those that have something to cherish like The Warrior, Haasil, Maqbool, Charas, Metro, The Namesake and perhaps Mumbai Meri Jaan. These are films I would like to own and watch again and again. I like to explore and do new things. Even if I repeat a character profile, my audience should still expect something new out of it. For instance, my character in Life in a Metro wasn’t anyone new. But the way he unfolds from a blunt, uncouth person to someone you start liking is what makes him unique.

Which has been your most memorable compliment?
The most memorable comment came from a renowned film personality (I won’t name him) who after seeing The Namesake said, ‘Please go and thank your parents for giving you birth.’

What are your future projects?
Dil Kabaddi, inspired by a Woody Allen film, provides another perspective to lives in a metro city. It has a very Indian soul and explores the function of morality in the mind of an urban married man. How does one cope with fantasies in spite of being happily married? How do couples cope with sexual tensions in a metro which provides ample opportunities for a man and a woman to succumb to their desires? Then, in Billo Barber, I play the protagonist—a multi-faceted character whom some see as honest and others as a liar. He is poor but not bogged down by poverty. He goes about his calling of a barber in a small town till a star lands there to shoot and changes his life.

How was it working with director Priyadarshan and producer /co-actor Shah Rukh Khan in Billo Barber?
Shah Rukh is a very efficient producer who understands marketing very well. That’s why, I guess, it’s easier for him to produce films. He really pampers his actors. As a co-actor, you never notice his stardom as he heeds every command of the director. Since Priyan writes his own stories, his characters are grounded and close to real life. As a director, he is focused and rigid about what he wants from an actor. You have to be alert to know what’s playing in his mind. He doesn’t take actors’ improvisations.

Which directors would you like to work with?
Sriram Raghavan, Mani Ratnam and Prakash Jha (I couldn’t accept his latest film Rajneeti). I’d like to continue and keep working again and again with Asif Kapadia, Anurag Basu, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Mira Nair. I am also game for working with out-and-out fantasy filmmakers.

Which co-stars are you most comfortable with? Which is your favourite onscreen pair?
Comfort depends a lot on the characters and the chemistry they share. Acting is also about being in a comfortable place. It’s not one-upmanship. When that comes in, the scene suffers and acting becomes a torturous job. I have been in such situations; but I wished those actors well and moved on. Konkona Sensharma is a really charged co-star, it was fantastic working with Tabu and I have shared an amazing never-seen-before chemistry with Soha Ali Khan in Dil Kabaddi. Uttam Kumar-Suchitra Sen is my favourite onscreen pair.

You are also working with Mallika Sherawat in a film. Any kisses in the offing?
I am asking the film’s director Jennifer Lynch (David Lynch’s daughter) to let me kiss her (laughs). Can you believe it’s called Naagin – The Snake Woman? It’s a typical ichadhari naagin story where the naagin’s lover is taken away and there is a stolen naagmani angle too. I play an investigating officer who philosophises about life and death. It has the typical Hindi film formula but the Western perspective gives it a fresh appeal.

With four films released and four more to go, 2008 has been your busiest year so far. You are also going increasingly commercial.
I was never flying the flag of so-called arty, meaningful cinema. Meaningful cinema for me is one that engages me and tells interesting stories. It being art or commercial is secondary. Luckily, my films have been able to give something more than entertainment.

How is the off-screen Irrfan Khan— funny, shy or crazy?
I am a bit of everything and more. I like humour, am a bit crazy and not too talkative as I need to have my space. I hate fear and don’t like being worried. My only personal goal is to dissolve all kinds of fear including death.

How would you rate your stint in international cinema?
It has enriched me as an actor and rekindled my interest in acting. I was getting quite bored with acting till I got The Warrior, whose success led to more international projects such as with Mira Nair and Danny Boyle, who was the only reason for me doing my next international release Slumdog Millionaire.

Is it true that you now charge a crore per film?
I charge more than that!