'My niece keeps me connected with young minds'

Excited about his first film for children, talented actor Rahul Bose is spending a lot of time with his 10-year-old niece Alya to prepare for the role.

'I used a lot of my father's personality to play the father to two children in Buddhadeb Das Gupta's 'Kaal Purush'. Like my dad, my character was a very nurturing and tactile father. And now in this children's film, growing up with Alya has kept me totally in touch with how young minds work.

'I feel essentially all young minds have remained the same. They love anything that challenges the law of nature. Through Alya, I'm fully clued into young minds. Alya is part of my heart. And I certainly will bring my experiences with her into my role,' Rahul said.

To be directed by Tamara Nedungadi, who is Ken Ghosh's assistant, the untitled film will see Rahul as the captain of the Indian cricket team.

'Ken will be a creative consultant on the project. Children are a constituency I've never spoken to before. I've been waiting to do a film for children. It's part of my new leave-no-genre-untried policy.

'This one is exciting because I get to play the captain of the Indian cricket team. It's a funny warm and sentimental film. There's a brood of children in the film,' he said.

'In fact,' Rahul deadpanned, 'there was a huge tug-of-war between me and the child protagonist as to who would play the young lead. I lost because he was taller. But I still say I look younger, ha ha.'

As for his friendship with Nandita, 'We had to call off our torrid affair due to the intense media pressure. The media created differences where earlier there were none.'