How much do you miss the older generation of actors like Kamal, Mammootty and Mohanlal in your newer films?

They are all great. No doubt. It was a pleasure to work with them. Such actors make a director's life a lot easier. But it is another high to travel similar path with the newer lot.

The youngsters have grown watching these masters perform. The standard has already been set. So, the newer lot is trying not just to reach that standard, but also to cross it. They are a bunch of intelligent youngsters with a wide exposure to world cinema. They bring all that to the shoot.

"Guru" has an unusual cast. What made you sign on unusual suspects like Mallika Sherawat and Mithun Chakraborty?

Mithun-da was brilliant to work with. He is so real in his performance. Natural and with no fuss.

Mallika did an item song... Is she a commercial add-on? Did she really trouble you during shooting?

Mallika was very professional. She had to dance to a number in Istanbul in very cold conditions. She did it very well. No fuss and no problem whatsoever. She had done a lot of rehearsals before we left for Turkey and worked long hours there in a belly dancer's costume.

How much of the burden of shooting in an alien language - Hindi - have you abandoned since "Dil Se"?

My Hindi is improving in geometric progression. I started at zero and am gradually climbing up. No, I have not abandoned Tamil, if that is what you're asking. I have done five films after "Dil Se", three in Tamil and two in Hindi.