Ameesha Patel talks about her new role as producer, her career mistakes and writing a special role for Sanjay Dutt
How do you like your new role as a producer?
I love it because I know I can still be the diva, an actress and I have somebody here doing the dirty work (laughs). I don't have to be at every meeting because I trust Kuunal.
You have opened the production house Ameesha Patel Production with your best friend, Kuunal Goomer. Is it a good idea to mix business with friendship?
While I was apprehensive about starting my business ventures with my other friends, with Kuunal I knew it would only grow into something better. After God if I trust someone it is Kuunal. It was his dream to start this production house. He felt that I was wasting my education and I needed to do more with myself.
Both the directors you have signed Priyadarshan and David Dhawan didn't have a good run at the box office, recently.
But they have also given 40 hits. We are honoured to have them on board. Being in this industry for 12 years, I have gone though the valleys and the peaks and seen the cyclical changes. When Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan can be written off, who are we? Therefore, we don't judge anyone from their last hits and flops.
Will you act in all your home ventures?
Yes, because I am young, pretty and a good actress. But our doors are open to all the talented actors. I am also working in movies outside my home production like Race 2, Shortcut Romeo, Bhaiyyaji Superhit with Sunny Deol.
Will your good friend Sanjay Dutt act in your film?
My production house would be incomplete if Sanju was not part of it. Even if he is not on the mind of any director, we will make sure that there is a special role written for him.
How do you react to your detractors who say that Ameesha has opened her production house because no one else is giving her work?
Is it easier to go get work or to get hundred crore to fund yourself?
You think you got your due as an actor?
Not at all but I will get it now.
What went wrong?
I did not have brains and circumstances did not allow me to take my career in the right direction. I was not a filmy kid and I came around the time when all the star kids including Kareena and Hrithik were being launched. I had to crawl while they were already running. I am still from outside and I don't have a godfather. I did not even have a filmy boyfriend to push me for roles. No Salman was my boyfriend, no Akshay Kumar, none of them. Even Kuunal is from the non-filmy background.
Who is your Prince Charming?
After some terrible mistakes I am still waiting for my Prince Charming. I have never changed men to suit my career. I am a sucker for love.
Will you be able to convince your friends like Hrithik and Shah Rukh who are very busy to work in your films?
So many producers want David Dhawan and Priyadarshan but we managed to rope them. Likewise if we have a role for Hrithik or Shah Rukh we are confident enough to get them.
