Is 'Joker' inspired by 'Koi Mil Gaya'? Is there a 'Lagaan' touch to it? Does it get into the 'Signs' territory? How much of 'E.T.' influence would one see in the film?

Quite a few questions have been surrounding 'Joker' ever since it was announced and the revealation made that aliens would have a role to play in the film.

Now that the promos are out and the film is ready for release, writer-director Shirish Kunder is again finding himself in a space where he is answering all these questions.

However instead of being rattled, he is rather pleased that 'Joker' has managed to arouse curiosity amongst the audience.

"If just a few frames shown in the trailer have made so much impact, imagine how it would be when the entire film is seen in theatres", smiles Shirish Kunder who is rather amused with some of the comparisons being made, "I mean look at what is being said about similarities due to crop circles.

The only other film in the whole world where this has been shown is in 'Signs' and then too 'Joker' is completely different because in my film it is people who are acting as aliens. Then when it comes to 'Lagaan', it was a different take on cricket.

Where do you see any cricket in 'Joker'?

If at all there is any similarity that one may agree upon, it is centred on the underdog element. While in 'Lagaan', it was a team of villagers led by Aamir Khan that had taken on the mighty Brits in the game of cricket, 'Joker' features an NRI (Akshay Kumar) assembling a bunch of villagers and camouflaging them as aliens so as to get his neglected village Paglapur on the map of India.

"So there you go, this is the first ever film in the world where such a plotline has been explored.

So aren't we different? Ab isse zyaada kitni alag picture banaaon? People claim that they are making different films; I am making one in 'Joker'", says Shirish whose debut film was also an experimental musical in the form of 'Jaan-E-Mann', "My film is an underdog affair which has been packaged with commercial ingredients.Of course since I am working with big stars, there are bound to be songs and dances as well."

'Joker' releases all over on 31st August.

Watch Trailer:Joker