Anil and Chunky come together after 19 years

Nineteen years after working in Tezaab [1988], Anil Kapoor and Chunky Pandey have come together again. Though N. Chandra directed Tezaab had the two actors playing friends, this new venture would see them in a different combination. While Anil Kapoor dons the hat of a producer for the second time after Gandhi My Father, Chunky Pandey is one of the key protagonists in the film.

"It is called Shortkut - The Con Is On; note the 'K' factor", quips Chunky, "I play the role of an 'acting guru' in the film". Chunky Pandey and an 'acting guru'? Now that's some combination! "That's not all. In fact, you could say that I play an 'overacting guru'. Now does that sound convincing?" he continues to joke.

What's the film about? "It is designed as a laugh-a-minute comedy", informs Chunky who has been noticed recently for his comic acts in Apna Sapna Money Money and Fool N Final, "The film is directed by Neeraj Vora who gave us a hilarious Phir Hera Pheri (Akshay Kumar, Suneil Shetty, Paresh Rawal) last year."

How does Chunky Pandey's role as an 'acting guru' come into picture? "Shortkut - The Con Is On has a flavor of Bollywood and touches upon various layers which are prevalent here. Learning how to act is one of them. But no, Shortkut - The Con Is On is not a spoof on Bollywood. We are just trying to tell a tale in a lighter vein."

And who are his partners in crime? "I am in the film along with Akshaye Khanna and Arshad Warsi. Both are simply terrific when it comes to comic timing. We have shot for around a week now and it has been absolutely fun. Along with Neeraj, it is a riot on the sets."

Talking fondly about his director, Chunky says, "What's special about Neeraj is that he has just the right expressions for all the shots. You have to just emulate the way he enacts a scene. So far I have worked in films (Apna Sapna Money Money, Fool N Final, Darwaza Bandha Rakho) which were written by his assistants. Finally I get a chance to work with the Boss!"

As a producer, Anil Kapoor started off with an offbeat Gandhi My Father. Is Shortkut - The Con Is On just an antithesis of the film? "Exactly", says Chunky, "This is going to be a full on commercial entertainer for an entire family. We finish shooting by January and plan to bring it to theaters post March once the school/college exams are over."

Coming together with Anil Kapoor must have brought a sense of nostalgia too? "It has been a long time. I too took a break and made a comeback. So many changes have happened in the industry but he remains the same. Though he is not acting in the movie, we all would make sure that he plays a part in the film. From the point of No Entry, we will now take him through a Shortkut", he smiles.