'Table No. 21' has turned out to be a surprise offering at the very beginning of the New Year. First release of the week, it has managed to see some good critical response coming its way.

While the film is showing signs of some good pick up at the box office, courtesy good word of mouth, Rajeev Khandelwal admits that he was surprised as well as amused when prior to it's release, there were insinuations around it's germs being in 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

Says Rajeev, "Please, the game show format in the film is not a USP of our film. Yes, the whole questions and answers thing is very intriguing and keeps you on the edge of the seat.

However, a lot of other things are also happening alongside, something which has not happened in any film from the past, including 'Slumdog Millionaire'.

We are not even remotely inspired by that or any other film. In fact as a matter of fact, I am sure that when the film was conceptualised, the game show element must have come in later. It is just the connect between the audience, nothing else."

Today he is happy that a connect has indeed been made with the audience.

"This was such a dicey script that I was keeping my fingers crossed to see that the film was executed as well as it was written.

Otherwise nahi toh kayi baar aisa hota hai ki picture paper par bahaut achchi lagti hai but when it turns into a film then it gets all screwed up.

Taking it to the next level was very important and I could see that happening", he says.

Well, now that the film is there for all to see, we concur as well.