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"Oh, I would give myself 50 out of 100," Om shrugs. "I could console myself If I want to, say I have done about 150 films, at least half of them were reasonably good. But if I am being honest with myself, I must admit it is all too little, and too late. And at that level, frustration does creep in - more so when you see superb movies being made abroad, with fabulous scripts, and you find yourself wishing you could get such scripts, make such movies, give it your all."

Surprisingly, Om does feel that such movies are being made in India even now. "The trouble is," he elaborates, "that we in Bombay do not have the courage that a Kamal Hassan has to make movies that satisfy us. We have become secure economically, so we have lost the guts to put it on the line and make the kind of movies we want to," he argues, the frustration showing in the timbre of his voice.

Om does believe the likes of Vinod Chopra, Raj Kumar Santoshi, Ketan Mehta, Santosh Sivan, Rajat Rawail and Sanjay Bhansali in Hindi, and Kamal Hassan and Mani Ratnam in the south, are capable of bringing about a resurgence, of setting inspiring examples for others to follow.

So much for film-makers. Tackle him on the subject of his co-stars, and he confesses that he is fascinated by Manisha Koirala. "She is growing as an actress, with each film - absolutely amazing, that last scene of hers in Khamoshi," he enthuses. "And the likes of Madhuri, Kajol and Tabu are also quite good. Among the men, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan have promise."

The main difference between the Indian industry and the foreign one, Om feels, lies in the latter's ability to take enormous pains. "There, they are more methodical, they will revise a script, re-draft it, 15, 20 times. And they don't compromise, ever - a frame may be breathtakingly beautiful but if it does nothing for the total film, out it goes. Here, there is no care taken over the script. And again, some good films are spoilt because of the compromises we make. The use of songs and dances where not needed, for instance.

"Then again, when shooting abroad, what strikes you is the punctuality, and the pace of working. If they set out to finish a film in 40 days, then they will do just that. And they get every ounce of work out of a 12-hour shift. It helps, too, that you are given detailed scripts months in advance - here, you get a handwritten script at the very last moment.

"Then there is payment. Ismail Merchant paid me the equivalent of Rs 4.5 million in foreign exchange for one film, here it would have taken me six, seven films to earn that much. This means the actors there don't have to slog as much as we do here, they get time to recharge themselves. And all this makes for better performances, better films."

For now, Om is in that stage of his development where he prefers to slow his working pace down, take it easy, accept only roles that interest him. And, of course, keep from worrying about the future.

Nothing bothers him, apparently. No children? No problem - "If one feels the need, one can easily adopt a child," he shrugs. And goes on to talk about how he once helped raise money for Future Hope, a Calcutta-based institution that shelters stray children and looks after them. "They started with 10, 12 children, now they have six branches and 317 children. I am one of the trustees now - and this is the kind of activity that gives you real pleasure," he smiles.

Future plans include the formation of a co-operative for making good films, with the actors contributing a share of their remuneration to form the capital, and sharing out the profits on the basis of each one's investment. "A fresh co-operative will be formed for each film, and the old one disbanded once the film it was formed for is complete," Om explains.

He would also like to return to his old love, theatre. This involves timing holidays so that all actors in a play take it at the same time, and vacation in some pre-arranged spot - a friend's bungalow, say, or some resort - in order to get in a full day's quota of rehearsals without any other preoccupations. "At the end of the holiday, we should have a new play ready for performing," he points out.

Both are schemes slated for implementation in the coming year. One way or the other, Om sees himself working for another ten years, at the least.

And then, maybe, pursuing his dream.

"My dream is to buy one or two acres of land adjacent to a small village. There," he daydreams, "I will build a small home for myself, surround it with flowers and trees. I shall then adopt the adjoining village, taking care of its requirements in terms of hygiene, education and the like, help solve their problems, be part of the villagers and make them a part of me."

And in the meantime, Om works. And when call-sheets don't dictate the course of his day, he loves to wake up late, play with his dog, catch up with wife Nandita, doze through the afternoon and come evening, catch up with old friend Naseer, his wife Ratna Pathak Shah and their two kids over dinner at his favourite eatery. Or, for a change, surprise his wife by taking over the kitchen. "Cooking helps me unwind," he says.

And that is the picture that he leaves you with. A simple man, doing what comes naturally to him.

And marking time, till he can make a simple dream come true...