Your film Agent Vinod is nearing release but you have instead been in news for the brawl with NRI businessman Iqbal Sharma. Are you regretting the episode?
I do feel that I should have handled this differently, especially since I'm a public figure and I apologise for it. But some responsibility has to lie with the person who threw the first punch, and that wasn't me. I was abused and hit too. I consider it as a matter between us two guys and we should sort it out between us. We hopefully will. But I don't appreciate stories that say our group was making noise at the restaurant. I would be embarrassed at that association. The charge that I verbally and physically abused a senior citizen is a monstrous charge. Stars have a vulnerable reputation so people cook up the worst story possible.
Do you feel filmstars tend to become media's favourite punching bags?
For this incident to be written about widely, is expected. I am, however, amazed at the character attack by certain media sections that is depicting me as some aristocrat from the French revolution era, who is abusing common citizens as if he is above the law. Report it, but do not judge me before the truth is out. Don't blow it out of proportion — the rape of a teen girl on page seven is far more important.
Do you have a short temper?
There are two kinds of people, docile and not, I fall in the latter category. I find some things incredibly annoying and I admit that I should learn to deal with them the right way as a public personality. There are plenty of times when people try to provoke a star and nine out of ten times, I do hold back. Sometimes, one loses control.
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