"I heard I was throwing my weight around, making constant demands on the sets, asking for juice constantly as though I am some kind of a juice monster. I do have juice on sets, but what's so starry about that?" asks Shiney, whose debut film "Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi" fetched him critical acclaim.
"As for my staff, please ask them if I ever throw my weight around. I even heard that (director) Sudhir Mishra is fed up of my behaviour on the sets of my new film when, in fact, he has been and continues to be my biggest supporter," Shiney told IANS.
About alleged differences with "Woh Lamhe" co-star Kangana Ranaut, he says: "I've no problems with Kangana at all. You'll have to ask her if she has a problem with me. In fact, life couldn't get any better for me. So many things have come up simultaneously. I'm shooting non-stop till April-end.
"There's no friction from my end. Kangana is my co-star in two films. I feel we get along quite well. But she said something in an article that really surprised me. Whenever we're together, we're very comfortable with each other. It's best to keep things pleasant because you never know if you'll work together again."
He says: "I've done enough films for sentimental reasons. Now I need to take some hard career decisions. My new film for T Series with Akshay Kumar and Vidya Balan - to be directed by Priyadarshan - is my first step towards more commercial cinema. I suddenly have people coming to me with viable projects."
Shiney's career couldn't get shinier. He had two releases "Woh Lamhe" and "Zindaggi Rocks" on two consecutive Fridays. But he wasn't nervous. "I just took off to Dubai to shoot my first ad."
The Vodka ad is his first endorsement as an actor. "It is my first endorsement after I became an actor and my first as a brand ambassador. We worked with a South African and German crew. Tejal Pattni did the cinematography. Of course, I used to model before movies.
"I don't mind doing an alcohol ad. I come from an army background where social drinking is seen as permissible. These Vodka guys insisted that I'm the right person for it. And they told me they'd have no other brand ambassador."
About his supportive role as a man who looks after the troubled female protagonists in both his new releases, Shiney says: "My performances in 'Woh Lamhe' and 'Zindaggi Rocks' could've easily fallen apart. I'm reminded of Irrfan Khan in 'Maqbool'. Though he played the title role, it was Pankaj Kapoor who was the centre of attention.
"I guess I was placed in a similar situation in 'Woh Lamhe'. Even in 'Gangster' people complained I wasn't seen enough. At least people didn't have that complaint when they saw me in 'Zindaggi Rocks'. I narrate the whole story and I'm there from beginning to end."
Shiney is a little tired of being seen in dark films about desperate measures. "Everyone seems to think I'm this intense actor and I can't seem to do anything about that image. I just happened to get these roles and I liked them. Though 'Hazaar Khwahishein Aisi' was an intense film, I was cocky and funny.
"I don't want to be labelled a serious actor. I crave for singing-dancing roles. I thoroughly enjoyed doing the 'Kya yehi pyar hai' music-video for 'Woh Lamhe'."
Isn't he purposely choosing films that compound his serious image? "There was never any question of not doing Mahesh Bhatt's 'Woh Lamhe' or Sudhir Mishra's new film 'Khoya Khoya Chand' because I owed them. They gave me 'Gangster' and 'Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi'. 'Zindaggi Rocks' was my lunge towards a more mainstream cinema."
Defending "Zindaggi Rocks", Shiney added: "Everyone worked very hard on the film. Contrary to the promotion, 'Zindaggi Rocks' wasn't just a musical. It was a very emotional story. I wish the drama had been more prominently projected in the marketing. I've done what I have to with utmost sincerity.
"I try to survive in the showbiz jungle to the best of my abilities. I'm an outsider trying my best to find a foothold."
