Many filmmakers think he's an essential ingredient for a successful film.

Now, Johnny Lever is in the news for a series of spoofs commissioned by Sahara.

One of the first spoofs is on the film Lagaan, which is almost ready for release. Titled Thakaan, Johnny Lever spoofs Aamir Khan in this film.

The filmmakers are optimistic that the audiences who enjoyed Lagaan will love this as well.

The comedian shares his experience with metro.

Why did you decide to spoof Lagaan?

Lagaan is a remarkably well-made film which was nominated at last year's Oscars. I am sure that Aamir and Ashutosh have worked hard to make this film.

I am extremely awed by the dedication and the detail with which it has been made. I just want to show the lighter side of putting in so much effort and that is why we have called it Thakaan.

I would like to clarify that we are not trying to ridicule Lagaan in any way. We are only trying to show that if Lagaan had been a comic film, this is how it would be.

Are you planning to do a series of spoofs?

Yes. I am planning to do 12 spoofs on the 12 most successful Bollywood films.

We have almost finished shooting for Thakaan. Now, we plan to start our next spoof on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas.

We also plan to spoof Sholay and Kaante. However, we haven't decided on all the 12 movies yet. I guess if we can't find 12 films, we'll make our own comedies.

Who will be producing these 12 films?

The production of these spoofs will be handled by Sahara.
Do you think you can do serious roles as effortlessly as you do comedy?

I am sure I'll be able to do serious roles. But a lot will depend on the character I have to play. But honestly, I'd rather do comic roles. I do try out emotional scenes once in a while, but not too many of them.

Do you feel that most filmmakers exploit your comic talent and keep giving you stereotypical roles?

I don't think so. I enjoy playing a comedian, and I have actually refused serious roles because I prefer to play funny characters. And I intend to continue playing comic roles and improvising on them.

andheri@mid-day.com