Last year, he burnt his fingers with Love Story 2050. Now, for Victory, Harman Baweja changed his name - against his will. Here he talks about his identity crisis and bowling the maidens over

On the big screen, actor Harman Baweja has evoked some sour and scathing reactions. After the debacle last year of his debut film, Love Story 2050, many were quick to write him off as a jaded imitation of Bollywood elite Hrithik Roshan, but sans his screen presence.

In all fairness, in the face of such universal rejection any actor would have been forgiven for being cynical. But Baweja hardly cuts a sorry figure.

In Dubai to promote his second release, Victory, in which he plays a cricketer, the actor was as jolly as ever as he fielded the sticky questions sportingly. If our chat on the sidelines were to be reduced to a cricket match, Baweja surely scored a century on a tough wicket.

The first question was whether he should be addressed as Harman or Hurman? For all those who came in late, rumour has it the struggling actor had changed his name in a desperate bid for that elusive hit. Call it superstition or numerological calculation, his name was tweaked prior to the release of the film.

Adding an extra letter to an actor's name or the movie's title - Heyy Babyyy, Singh is Kinng and Karzzzz - is a common practice in Bollywood, and is believed to bring in good luck. But his grimace at the sound of his new name says it all.

"Dude, I hate that name, Hurman. I had so many discussions - read fights, quarrels and squabbles - with the director over this.

"In the end, I was like dude, do what you want for the movie, but I will always be Harman outside of it [the film]. It is actually weird yaar [mate]," says Baweja shooting a murderous glance at the poster that spelt his name differently across the room.

"I am still Harman," he adds. Unfortunately, his battle with identity-crisis does not end with his name.

Ever since he made his debut with the sci-fi magnum opus, he has been constantly living under the shadow of Roshan's Bollywood star, and the matter reached scandalous heights when a cosmetic surgeon went public and alleged he had restructured Baweja's jaw to resemble Roshan's.

"The entire episode makes me sad. It was such a sad situation because a certain man wanted to get some cheap publicity at my expense. And it was so unfair that I was dragged into all that, but the matter is now in the court and it will be sorted out."

Even if this battle is settled in court, the war is far from over. The two-film-old struggling star is yet to completely shrug off the look-alike label.

"In the beginning, the comparisons would irritate me, but now I have a better perspective over it. Look at it this way, initially Shahid Kapur was constantly compared to Shah Rukh Khan and Shah Rukh was constantly compared to Dilip Kumar. But now, would anybody dare to ask Shah Rukh about it. He is his own star. I am sure I will reach that place some day."

Like an excited student who is eager to show off his score card, Baweja quickly sketches the progress he's made. With an intensity that should ideally be reserved for the big screen, Baweja says his performance as cricketer Vijay Shekhawat was a stride in the right direction.

"There were some 48 reviews after Victory was released and for the first time, the critics were good to me - which I think is a rarity in itself. I will always remember the most heartwarming line, it said I had managed to shrug off the Hrithik look-alike tag with Victory," says Baweja.

His earnest performance may have won some critics over, but the film which boasts cameo appearances by more than 40 cricketers has received a cold verdict.

"I am not the only one responsible for the fate of the movie. It's not in my hands alone. If I can watch my movie and say I have given it more than my 100 per cent, then I don't have any regrets. Its success is beyond my control."

Bowling the box-office over may not be Baweja's forte yet. But when it comes to bowling the maidens over, he has met with considerable success. Ask him about his link-ups with his co-stars and he retorts with a wink, "Which one? Priyanka or Amrita?"

Oscillating between being the on-off boyfriend of the successful actress Priyanka Chopra (his co-star in Love Story 2050) to being touted to be the new man in Amrita Rao's (his co-star in Victory) life, Baweja seems to have enjoyed incredible luck with the ladies.

"I have always maintained that Priyanka is a good friend and Amrita is a good friend too. There is nothing romantic going on.

"Honestly, all I want is my career to be on the right track."