Hello is also your first biggest overseas release yet. What expectations have you got from your audiences in the UK and the US?

Well, I don't know. Both my previous films, Dor and Manorama Six Feet Under, though weren't released theatrically, did exceptionally well on the DVD. But it's not like they don't know who I am. The ones who do watch good cinema are definitely aware of me and for the ones who haven't, I am really interested to see how a wider reach of audience will react to me.

You seem to be very picky in the kind of roles you choose and the films you sign Gul. Why?

In the line of work that I am in, the kind of work which you do is what defines you and it's not what you do but what you don't do that actually sets you apart from the rest.

Now let's talk about this controversial news doing the rounds since yesterday - Your beeped dialogue where you used the word 'condom'.

I think that's very ridiculous. It's a very simple question I ask Sharman before we go into this lovemaking scene, 'Do you have a condom?' And that's the word 'condom' which the censor board is going to beep out. This is when the NACO, which is the National Aids Control Organisation which runs, adverts all over the country for prevention and awareness of aids.

For family planning, we promote the use of condoms. We have ringtones that are being released by the public health department, which goes like 'Condom condom condom...' But when such a word is used within a film the censors have a problem. Even in my previous film ‘Manorama Six Feet Under’ there was a word 'condom' used which was beeped out when I tell Abhay Deol to use one. In that, it was used in the context of family planning but in ‘Hello’ it is used for safe sex. This is a continuation of India's hypocritical standards towards such things.

... contd.