Not too many people know this, but when his dream project "Shukriya" bombed, Aftab Shivdasani went into an acute depression.

"That was the biggest shock of my life. Everyone associated with 'Shukriya' said it was a 'Sholay' in the making. Naturally all of us get carried away," Aftab said.

"It was very dear to me. When the film flopped, for nine whole months from Oct 8, 2004, onwards I withdrew completely from public view," Aftab told IANS.

"I sat at home, let my hair grow, didn't care about what I looked like or what I did. It was a time of great turmoil for me. I had to make decisions about the way my life and career went. Nothing interested me. I wanted to rejuvenate myself."

Aftab said he turned down innumerable assignments during those nine months.

"People thought I had gone nuts. And now my second phase has begun...right now I'm shooting for Vikram Bhatt's 'Ankahee' where I play a very complicated character and a man much older than I am just like I did in Vikram's 'Qasoor'."

Aftab plays a doctor in "Ankahee".

"It has elements from Vikram Bhatt's life but it isn't autobiographical. I've surrendered completely to the director's vision. Vikram is guiding me through the film. This is my fourth film with him."

Aftab says Vikram Bhatt and Ram Gopal Varma are directors he trusts blindly.

The turbulent period has ended with a crop of new films, including "Ankahee", Ekta Kapoor's "Koi Aap Saa", and most interesting of all, David Dhawan's next venture.

"I've never worked with David Dhawan before. He was telling me that he would like to work with me for a long time. He always says I'm very talented. That's very encouraging," Aftab said.

"But nothing materialized until now. The best thing about David's film is that I'd be working with Sanjay Dutt, who is such a sweetheart. There can never be any friction with your co-star when it's someone as accommodating as Sanjay Dutt."

About his new release, Aftab said Ekta Kapoor had been in talks with him for a while. "But something always went wrong. I didn't want to say no to 'Koi Aap Saa' because it dealt with a social issue. That's something she's very good at."

Aftab said "Koi Aap Sa" has a character-driven plot, with only three principal characters taking the narrative forward.

"But it's not a triangle and neither is it an unconventional film. To be very honest, 'Koi Aap Saa' is the last of my candyfloss films. It's right up my alley. 'Ankahee' is the assignment where I really go into a different orbit as an actor."

Aftab is busy reinventing himself. "My double role in 'Jaane Hoga Kya' will shock people. It's a thriller unlike any other, with not a hint of comedy. Not that I don't enjoy comedy but a guy has to get serious some time in life," he said.

"In 'Darwaza Band Rakho', which is a black comedy by Chekravarthy, I've changed my appearance completely. I play a kidnapper who holds the heroine hostage. I'd done a funny kidnapping caper 'Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega' before but this is serious stuff."

Next, Aftab goes into Subhash Ghai-Satish Kaushik's "Shaadi Se Pehle" with Akshaye Khanna and Ayesha Takia.

"It's a mad, mad film. I love doing comedy. That's why I'm looking forward to working with Zayed Khan and Sanjay Dutt in David Dhawan's film," he said.

"Why am I not in the 'Awaara Paagal Deewana' sequel? I don't know. Producer Feroz Nadiadwala should answer that. I also have an action film with Ramu next year.

"So this is the most productive phase of my career. Six years are up. The second-half has started. Thank god for the nine-month layoff. It helped me bounce back."

Aftab admits he has no good friends in the film industry. "No one here you can count on, so why fool ourselves with these silly thoughts? We're all here to work. And I've to work doubly hard since I'm an outsider. I have no godfathers and no sugar daddys. My career has been an uphill struggle all the way."

The affable actor guards his privacy very intensely. "I know that makes me boring copy. But so be it. I'm willing to be left out of centrespread write-ups. I'd rather not be written about than have my private life up for public consumption."

Aftab is also "very moody", claiming that he likes to be alone or with his "handful of friends, none of them from the industry, who have been with me from my childhood".

He admits his much talked-about friendship with Esha Deol has added a sensuous frisson to their characters in "Ankahee". "We're comfortable doing our characters because we've known each other for a long time," he said.