Your big date with the small screen’s a few days away. Excited? Yes, excited and nervous. But when I say nervous, it’s not the TRPs that I’m talking about, you know. That doesn’t matter. What matters is doing justice to the opportunity that I’ve got in reaching out to so many people, finding that emotional connect with them and touching their lives in some way.

That will accomplish what the show sets out to do. I am just telling stories of common people, with them and through them. And it’s these real stories of common man that I want to reach to the maximum number of families.

Is that why the show’s bilingual?
Yes, I don’t want language to be a barrier for anyone. There are few segments who wanted to retain Hindi, the South languages have all been dubbed, though not by me.

Is the show a stepping stone to politics?
Not, not at all. I have no interest in politics. I may be socially aware, and vocal about it, but politics is not on my to-do list.

So how’s it been juggling between the two babies — your show and son Azad?
The show though extremely enriching to me as an individual, has been mentally draining too. But Azad has helped me tremendously in maintaining an emotional balance, he’s a really sweet child.
Touchwood!

So are you a hands-on dad?
Well, I try my level best to be. But the show’s taking too much of my time. When Junaid was born, I think I was more hands-on. I had worked only for 30-40 days in a year and was with Reena throughout. But now I sometimes have to smuggle in from Azad’s nap time to spend time with him. But he’s very special and so every moment spent with him and Kiran is precious.

It’s probably the first time that you are involved in multiple projects?
Not really, but in a way yes too. Actually, when we had started the TV show, we had not visualised for it to have become of this large a magnitude. And now that it has, I have reshuffled a few things around because I’m completely focussed on it. So I start for Dhoom 3 in July, then we begin promotions for Talaash, and I start Rajkumar Hirani’s film in December.

Have you ever considered writing a book?
Well, yes I have. Probably, an autobiography. It’s been on my mind for some time now and I hope to start soon, I think it’ll be work in progress. But before that I hope to write a book on my mom’s recipes, soa cookbook of sorts. I’m going to tell Ammi to teach me a few of her recipes, so it’ll be a first-hand account of me cooking her recipes. That way I’ll even get to spend time with her. So, by next year may be.