Dimple Kapadia is once again teaming up with two of her old co-stars - Nana Patekar and Rishi Kapoor. The bold and the beautiful actress says she gets an inferiority complex while working with Nana even after 16 years while she feels Rishi has now become an "atom bomb".
Dimple is working with Nana in forthcoming film Tum Milo Toh Sahi and will be seen with Rishi in Patiala House.
"I was completely thrilled when I came to know I was being paired with Nana...Working with him is difficult, but it gives me great pleasure. To match his level of acting and performance is quite a challenge. His portrayal and understanding of roles continues to make me feel inferior even after so many years," Dimple told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
The two were first paired together in Krantiveer in 1994. Now they play lovers in their 50s in Kabir Sadanand's romantic film Tum Milo Toh Sahi that releases April 2.
Dimple, who essays a Parsi woman running an old Irani cafe in the film, says she was extremely envious of Nana's role in the movie when she read the script three years ago.
"I had this script with me for three years and I really liked it. I liked my role, but I liked Nana's role much more than my own. It is lovely and beautiful. I always told Kabir that I would be envious of whoever would get to play the role and, surprisingly, it was Nana," she said.
The 52-year-old actor says that though most actors feel Nana is tough to work with, there are very few in the film industry as helpful as him.
"Nana is extremely helpful. The climax of Tum Milo... was not easy to shoot, but it was Nana who almost co-directed the scene with Kabir to see me through it. I completely dedicate that scene to him.
"Nana has always been superb at his work, very focussed and dedicated. I guess it is his theatre background that makes him so, but I really admire him for his work," she said.
The 52-year-old actor says that though most actors feel Nana is tough to work with, there are very few in the film industry as helpful as him.
"Nana is extremely helpful. The climax of Tum Milo... was not easy to shoot, but it was Nana who almost co-directed the scene with Kabir to see me through it. I completely dedicate that scene to him.
"Nana has always been superb at his work, very focussed and dedicated. I guess it is his theatre background that makes him so, but I really admire him for his work," she said.
Another actor that Dimple feels happy working with is the evergreen Rishi Kapoor, with whom she made her debut in 1973 film Bobby. At that time, she was just 16. Later, they were paired together in films like Saagar, Pyaar Mein Twist and more recently Luck By Chance.
"I've worked with Rishi on a couple of films. He has been consistently good, he always had brilliant energy. But now, my god, he is an atom bomb. I am so glad he is doing so much work these days," said Dimple.
She will now be seen with Rishi in Patiala House, which also stars her son-in-law Akshay Kumar.
"Patiala House completely belongs to Rishi. I don't have enough words to describe what a performance he has given in that film. He is absolutely wonderful," Dimple said.
The actress says she doesn't do much in her free time and adds that she isn't looking for any specific roles either.
"There is no role that I look forward to. I have done enough and I am not dissatisfied with the body of work that I have done. 'Sadma' (1983) was one film I was supposed to do, but unfortunately Sridevi did it. That remains one role I wanted to do but after seeing Sridevi, that desire died. She was too good," she said.
So what is the reason behind her absence from the big screen for long periods?
"I don't get too much work to begin with and whatever I get is mostly not good enough," Dimple replied.