He's been, shall we say, out of circulation for a while now.

Saif Ali Khan appears in Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega in the second lead.

Seemingly fated to play the Shashi Kapoor to Amitabh Bachchan, Saif is happy with the kind of recognition he gets.

This time, he teams up with Fardeen Khan in a role that he says he hasn't done before. He's married to Sonali Bendre in the film, and only the climax reveals whether it is for her money or true love.

Ruchi Sharma spoke to the actor:

You're being seen after a long time, and the lull in between doesn't do anything for an actor's image. Why?

You could call it a self-imposed hiatus. What's the point being in the news for all the wrong reasons? When there's a film releasing, I'll be around. Also, I am very choosy about my roles.

They say an actor's genius is in the roles he selects. I pick a few carefully. So I get seen less, too.

What happened to the famous jodi with Akshay Kumar?

The same thing that always does. We made it together. There were floods of offers. A couple of wrong choices, and the films started making us look bad and tired and worn out. So the jodi fizzled out.

How come you don't pitch for or appear in solo leads?

The way I look at it is like this. I seem to be complementing another person better than a solo thing.

Like Akshay and me were perfect against each other. We're very different kinds of people -- me chatty, frivolous and easygoing. Him, serious, quiet and more of the body-building kind. So it worked well for both of us.

Instead of a solo lead for an ego trip, it's better to do a double lead and kick ass.

Comedy seems to be your forte. Ever thought of being the romantic or the action hero?

Why bother? Whatever I do best, whatever I am accepted as is just fine with me. If it is comedy, it is that.

Which are the films you're looking forward to?

Well, there's Dil Chahta Hai, which is more of a rock-n-roll type of film. Recorded in sync sound, it has a Hollywood script. And that's not just a line!

Then there's Na Tum Jaano Na Hum. There's also Koi Mil Gaya, which is a stylised remake of the Tamil film, Minnale.

I am doing Yahoo with Govinda, where he plays Bollywood's worst director and I play a superstar. Aankh Micholi is a fantastic film I'm working on with Urmila -- that's the only film where I am playing single lead.