Fortunately I have. So I hope you won’t slap me?
Laughs) You’re safe.

So, when was the last time you slapped anyone?
(Thinks hard) I don’t remember. These days, I don’t react to any kind of provocation. But I must confess that recently Govinda did something that made me feel proud of him.

Are you referring to the incident when Govinda slapped a guy?
Yeah. That guy must have really bugged him and I’m happy that he whacked him.

As a celebrity, aren’t you conscious of the responsibility that you have?
Does that mean that just because we are celebrities, we have to take everything lying down and that anyone can get away riling us? Most of the time we take it but if they cross the line by ten folds, we react.

Do you respect the media?
A small section of it. I don’t have a problem if people say anything about my work or my personality but don’t write false stuff.

Do you want the media to only write gushy stuff about you?
Not at all. Take, for instance, this Madame Tussauds thing that happened. Everybody was going on and on about what an achievement it is. I think it’s an achievement of my fans. I didn’t do self-congratulatory interviews even though I was constantly asked. I believe that I said whatever I had to say on the day itself, which was shown all over the channels. Ho gaya na… aage badhao na life ko. Even when I promote my films, I do it for my producers. I believe that there is no channel required between an actor and his audience. You can write the goriest stories about me, but if my fans believe in me then no matter what anyone writes they will come and watch my films. That’s what matters.

... contd.