Now a neta, always an abhineta

Much has changed, much hasn''t. The passion of yore, which has settled gracefully with age, surfaces discreetly in the character of Nashad in Leela. But then, Vinod Khanna has the ability of maintaining his many avatars. He''s a man who wears many hats and wears them well.
"I loved doing Somnath Sen''s Leela and, although my role wasn''t a lengthy one, I took up the film because of the script.It was quite different from the ones Bollywood usually offers me. The crew was all-American and thoroughly professional. Going back to acting is something I love. For me, this process is completely natural and effortless." Little wonder then, that Khanna, though he bid goodbye to Bollywood for a period of five years, has still managed to fit in. "I really don''t miss the camera when I am not a part of the action — I just know that I can always return to the big screen," says the actor-turned-minister of culture and tourism.
So far, the neta has enjoyed his stint in politics. "It means a lot of travelling and brain-storming as we are trying to come up with the best policies for tourism, an untapped field so far. My dream is to make India the only tourist destination in the world." A hearty laugh follows.
While juggling his roles in politics and the movies, Khanna claims to have struck the right balance.
"With my responsibilities as a minister increasing, I can''t take up any new acting projects. But I have permission from the PM to finish incomplete projects," he points out. Among projects in the pipeline are an untitled film and the Raveena Tandon-produced Pehchaan.
Bollywood continues to intoxicate him. This, in addition to the new high he has found in politics. Somewhere down the line, Khanna struggles to do justice to his family. "Ever since I became a minister, I have had to travel a lot.
Although I haven''t been able to spend too much time with my family, we still make an effort to meet whenever possible. I celebrated Diwali with my sons, daughter and wife Kavita. But I realise that my commitment is towards my constituency,my party and my country." The focus might have changed. But Vinod Khanna, like always, is a man with a mission.
hyderabadtimes@indiatimes.com