We caught up with action hero Jean Claude Van Damme, who is gearing up for his big release 'The Expendables 2', set to hit the screens this week. He sat down to answer our questions, read on...

Would you have liked to be a hero in ‘The Expendables 2’ and not the villain?
In The Expendables 2, Sly and I are the same type of character, he on the good side and me on the bad side. So to me, it was normal. It's fun to be bad . The audience will see something different.

What made you take up this role in the sequel, considering you weren’t part of the original?
We felt the friendship but also we felt the competition because we wanted to look good next to the other. It was a very healthy competition. Sly called and I asked ‘what’s the story?’ At the time he was constructing the concept, the vision, and I didn’t know the story. Besides, I directed a movie and that's why I wasn't able to be in "The Expendables." We heard all types of gossip stories - me and Jet Li fighting and all of that stuff. But, I was cutting the film I directed and was responsible because I put my own money into that film and it's a very strange movie. So, I didn't do "The Expendables" because I was busy cutting this film

How was it shooting for the 'big showdown' scenes with Sylvester Stallone?
I look at Sly and I tell myself, ‘oh I don’t like that piece of sh*t.’ It’s just an expression. At the end we shake hands, but … we need that distance.

Any interesting incident from the sets that you would like to share with our readers?
To be honest, I kept my distance when we were not shooting from the other stars. I came across as cold and they thought that I didn't talk. I stayed in my trailer. It was necessary because when I looked at these heroes on the set I needed to look at them like they were nothing when actually they were really my mentors. But yes, we had fun too.

This can be called your ‘comeback’ film, how was it facing the arclights after a long time?
I am happy again, because Stallone gave me a love of movies again

How was it working with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger?
They’re my heroes from the past. Even today, they’re still my heroes. Rambo, Rocky, Terminator, Conan, Lone Wolf — I grew up with those movies. I kept thinking as I looked around me, 'I didn't do the casting but it feels like I did'

Have you watched any Bollywood film? What do you think of them?
There are so many good movies. I have watched Devdas.

Who is your favorite Bollywood hero? Would you be open to working in a Bollywood film someday?
I (actually) am going to go to India. I want to go to India and I want to make a film in India. That lady from Devdas? Aishwarya Rai? Gorgeous! Indian people are such good actors.