He is a cool guy, in the proper sort of way. He responds to e-mail and sms messages, calls to apologise for rescheduling the appointment, shows up for the interview on time and takes on more questions, even though he is getting late.

Actually, you'd like him anyways -- even if you didn't like Swades. He will then patiently hear your criticism of his film, smile, and tell you that if he had to reduce the length, it would only be five minutes shorter!

Armed with punchfuls of conviction, and two biggest stars -- Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan -- his last two films have brought a freshness to Hindi cinema, making audiences think and has taken them far from glitzy locales, to the villages of India.

In his office, decorated with Swades posters and clapper boards of all his previous films, he spoke about his films and highlighted his concerns about India to Senior Features Editor, Special Projects Archana Masih.

Ashutosh Gowariker's photographs: Jewella C Miranda.

Design: Dominic Xavier