Milind’s a regular at Sachin’s. "I come here when mum’s not in town. The food is coastal Maharashtrian and is quite unlike the typical restaurant fare," he says as he orders with gusto—sole curry, vadas which are thick, heavy puris with chicken masala, fried Bombay duck (Bombil) and fried prawns. I settle for the staid veg plate—two rotis, one dal and two vegetables, some yummy chutney and a salad.
I’ve known Milind since his early modelling days. I’ve also seen him wade through his intense relationship with Madhu Sapre. As we start biting into our meal, I ask him about his marriage plans. After all, Milind’s eligibility makes him a favourite target of women of all ages—young and old. "I’ve always thought I’m an interesting person rather than the handsome guy I’m made out to be. I’m terribly busy with work. Marriage would require commitment and time which I don’t have right now," he says.
There’s been nobody in his life after Madhu. Right now he’s wedded to his new film, Rules—Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula, also his debut as a producer. So how has it turned out? "I’ve seen it forty times and still find something fresh in it. It’s a rather cute film. I do notice some flaws but I like the film. I enjoyed doubling up as producer, auditioning actors and being part of the logistics of filmmaking. One is learning all the time and I’ve learnt how to make a better film."
Milind is humble enough to admit his presence in the film wasn’t really necessary. "Any good-looking guy, someone like Jimmy Shergill, would have fitted in perfectly but we decided I would be more committed as I was also part-producer, just in case things went wrong," he says. Milind asserts the film isn’t a remake of the oldie Love in Simla. He describes it as a rule book on how to attract the opposite sex and deals with all the conscious and unconscious things people do to draw attention. Milind, however, doesn’t need to work on it. The good-looker is being stared at from every corner including the people on the street. But he digs into his prawn-chicken repast with relish as if unaware of the eyes on him.
