How has it been working with the 'Khan-daan'? Salman - Sohail- Arbaaz etc?

The Khan-daan is pretty cool. I have seen them over two years now, and I must say they are really blessed to have a family so bonded with each other. They are simple, straightforward, emotional people, and if they like you, they will go all out for you. The head of the family (Salim Khan) is a writer, so they give a lot of respect to writers. So I had a great time with them.

How involved were you during the making of the film?

I was involved in all stages. Atul drove me mad on the script. He kept making me revise it, he'd say, "It's great, but I know if you look at it one more time, it will only get better." I liked being challenged that way, rather than everyone nodding their heads because I was a bestselling author. Even later, Atul would show me set designs, song samples, and rushes to make sure I was happy with it. I tried to be on sets as much as possible. Otherwise, he would give me shoot updates at the end of the day. He'd say "That joke came out so funny even the light man laughed during the take." Hello is our baby, really!!!

Is Hello targeted at the metros and multiplexes or will it find its audience even in smaller towns and single screens?

I think herein lies the surprise factor. The trade believes Hello is mainly a metro/multiplex film. However, the Bollywood trade is not aware that my books sell a lot in smaller towns. Around sixty percent of my fan mail is from smaller cities. So I think it will go beyond the multiplexes. Of course, the Salman Khan factor will help in single screen business too.

... contd.