MUMBAI: It’s just the boys for Naseeruddin Shah and gang in Hriday Shetty’s Chaalis Chaurasi. Believe it or not, there are no leading ladies for the four actors Naseeruddin Shah, Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni and Ravi Kissan.

And the boys, if we may call the 45-plus quarter of actors that, are having the time of their life. Happily married family men, all four arrive eagerly to the shooting of Chaalis Chaurasi with the express purpose of experiencing a singles’ status on the sets.

“Yes it is an Alpha-male film. There’re no leading ladies in Hriday’s film. It’s all about a bunch of boys on an adventure and we’re having a ball,” Shah, who also starts shooting for the much talked-about Dirty Picture next month, tells Businessofcinema.com.

That’s proving to be a tougher nut to crack for the method actor than he had expected.

Explains the actor, “There’s a certain kind of superstardom in the South where the hero remains enamoured of his screen image even when the camera is off and for decades. I find that hard to portray. I left behind that kind of brash narcissism when I was 22. I will have to tap that megalomanical side of me that I thought I had abandoned for good.”

The third part that Shah has on the anvil is for Ram Gopal Varma’s Department. “I am still to see the script. It’s an interesting concept. Let’s see what Ram Gopal Varma finally comes up with. But contrary to what’s written, this is not the first occasion we’ve had to work together. I had earlier done a film called Nayak with Ramu with Sanjay Dutt and me. It got shelved but I had completed my work in it.”

Shah’s son Imaad recently made quite an impact in Prawaal Raman’s 404.

Says the proud father, “I thought it was a good film. As for Imaad being undecided about a career in music or movies, that’s something he will have to figure out for himself. I’ve no intention of guiding him in his career decisions but if we get a good offer to do a film together, why not?”