By Roshmila Bhattacharya

Imran KhanImran Khan will be Coca Cola’s representative from India at the FIFA World Cup final. Fiancée Avantika Malik will not be with him since she is currently in Europe, but Khan will be taking along a couple of his friends because “it’s no fun watching football alone”.

He admits that he is not a football fanatic and has no favourites. But he did catch two of the quarter final match. “Spain was expected to go through but I was shocked by Germany’s 4-0 demolition of Argentina. Their teamwork is phenomenal and Germany has a good chance of making it to Sunday’s final,” says Khan, who is packing for his first trip to Johannesburg this Thursday. He will stay back a few days and may check out the octopus that has been bang-on in its predictions.

The actor is going to miss coach Diego Maradona, “but with all due respect to him, I wasn’t looking forward to seeing him dance naked if Argentina lifted the Cup”. There are many though, and that includes some from the LGBT community, who are drooling over Khan’s “shirtless” look in I Hate Luv Storys. “Dharma Productions is organising a special screening for my Gay Fan Club. I will be going for it,” says Khan.

Big opening
Not just the homosexuals and the straight teenyboppers, even the aunties and mummies love his new ‘luv’ story. “Older women have always had a soft spot for me,” he blushes.

The film has taken a bigger opening than some of the recent releases, including Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009) and even his own Jaane Tu… Yaa Jaane Naa (2008), and is reported to have grossed Rs 22 crore in the first three days alone. This, after the not-so-happening Kidnap (2008) and Luck (2009), is reassuring. “I wasn’t sure if I belonged here after the last two films, but now I know that I have been accepted,” says Khan, who’s doing another film with Dharma Productions.

What is more heartening are the figures coming in from overseas. So far, only a few actors, mostly Shah Rukh, Aamir, Salman and Saif Ali Khan have been big draws. “It’s nice that a younger actor who is also a Khan is working there too,” smiles the actor, whose “Idhar udhar ki baatein, vagairah vagairah” is a hit today.

He’s excited for mamu Aamir Khan’s Peepli Live too, whose trailers opened along with his film: “This is the first time I’ve seen people clapping for a trailer.”