The Fighter

Every actor wants to work with Ashutosh Gowariker. Moreover,it was a great script. The story intrigued me. Here was a school teacher who led one of the largest uprisings of our freedom struggle with children aged between 13 to 18. I instantly found it to be a very dramatic script.

Does your responsibility as an actor increase when you’re playing a historical character?

Most definitely. When you are playing a freedom fighter you want to make sure that you don’t hurt anyone’s sentiments and that you pay due respect to him. It is a way of re-acquainting him with the public. I wanted to do it in such a way that no person could point a finger at me.

But controversies have already emerged,with a certain group raising objections about your style of wearing the dhoti in the film.

Has there been a controversy? That’s completely incorrect. There was a Bengali cultural consultant on the film with us. And we wore the dhoti the way Bengalis do. Ashutosh is very responsible that way and his research is very strong. As a director,he will be true to his film and characters,and will not sensationalise anything.

Did your part-Bengali lineage help you play the role better?

Well,my mother threatened me saying you better do a good job because Surjya Sen is iconic in West Bengal.

It has been a year of character-driven roles for you; first with Beera in Raavan and now,with Surjya Sen in Khelein Hum. Has it been easy to channelise your energy into these two characters?

That’s what being an actor is all about. I like variety in my films. I like to push myself creatively. What is more enjoyable is that they both are equally difficult to portray. Beera is boisterous,wild and unpredictable but Surjyoda is very intense and simmers with passion. But it is easier to gauge a real person because there is information available on him. You know certain things about him; you know what he would wear,how he would behave.

The failure of Raavan must have been upsetting. What do you think went wrong?

Of course it was very upsetting. But then,you just try to analyse and see why the character did not connect with the audience. You really cannot draw conclusions. At the end of the day,you don’t know what works and what doesn’t,because if we knew that,we would all make hit films.

How does one cope with failure then?

You just get back in front of the camera. That is the toughest thing to do,but you have to force yourself to do it.

Do you oversee the workings of your production house AB Corp?

Yes. It is my company,so I have to do it. Our next Hindi film will be directed by Puri Jagannath,and my father (Amitabh Bachchan) plays the lead role in it. We are also producing one film each in Marathi and Gujarati. Next year,dad and I will begin a film.

Post Khelein Hum,you have quite a few releases in various genres.

My first release next year is Abhinay Deo’s Game,which is a murder mystery. The genre really intrigues me. I have always enjoyed whodunits such as the Agatha Christie stories. Then there is Dum Maaro Dum which is an action film,where I play a cop. Recently,I completed the first schedule of Abbas Mustan’s Players in Goa. I will soon begin work on Dostana 2.

It is surprising that you haven’t signed any films with your wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

There is nothing that’s excited both of us.

Recently,Sonam Kapoor said,“Abhishek and I are the next Shah Rukh-Kajol’ of Bollywood.” Do you agree?

Oh,did she? But no,I don’t think so; Shah Rukh and Kajol are in their own league. You have to be your own person.