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Journalism of Courage
Hes presently shooting in Russia for Abbas-Mustans Players. Its a fast-paced action flick and the gruelling action scenes not only required Abhishek Bachchan to build up a brand new physique,but will also have him jumping across moving boats and slithering down cliffs while chasing baddie Neil Nitin Mukesh. In the recent past,Abhishek has been experimenting with several genres. After being seen in edge-of-the-seat thrillers like Game and Dum Maaro Dum,the actor is now focussing on some hardcore action.
But soon he will turn his sights on comedy. Abhishek,who had the audience rolling on the floor with his portrayal of a pretentious gay in the light-hearted Dostana,is now getting ready to dish out more laughter. This time in Rohit Shettys Bol Bachan,which is reportedly an adaptation of Hrishikesh Mukherjees yesteryear laugh-riot Golmaal. His character will land a job with a boss who has his own notions about what a real man should be like,and how junior Bachchan tries to fit into the mould will form the plot. I am very excited about Bol Bachan,which should start sometime in August. Rohit made his first film,Zameen with Ajay Devgn and me. The film was based on the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane by terrorists,and I played an ACP. It will be interesting to work in a comedy directed by him,a genre he has mastered over the years. And then once again I have Ajay as my co-star. I love working with him, says the delighted actor.
When quizzed about Rajkumar Santoshis Ladies And Gentlemen,a romantic comedy in which he will play a guy with an insatiable roving eye and allowed to play the field by a sporting wife (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan),he is all smiles. I loved the script. It was very funny and I think Raj is brilliant at comedy. Andaz Apna Apna is a favourite. Both Bol Bachan and Ladies And Gentlemen are comedies which I am really looking forward to work in, he says,adding that every film,whether its a thriller,action or comedy over the last decade,has had its fair share of challenges.
Looking back at his last release Dum Maaro Dum,a movie which did fairly well at the box-office,Bachchan says that the response to his role as ACP Vishnu Kamath,a corrupt cop turned straight,has been encouraging. But I did not have time to enjoy the films success,and though I have been appreciated,I dont know what people had to say,as the day after the release I had to leave for Russia to shoot for Players. But some people have voiced the opinion that they wished my character Kamath had not died. However,any sort of compliment will do just fine as it was a role I thoroughly enjoyed playing, he says.
In fact,cop roles have a special place in his heart. Who can forget his dad,Amitabh Bachchans brilliant portrayal of an array of cop characters,from the brooding angry young inspector Vijay Khanna of Zanjeer to The Great Gambler and Ram Balram. I cannot pinpoint one favourite cop character of dad,as all have had an impact on me, says the proud son.
As for not being part of Ram Gopal Varmas Department as a encounter-specialist cop,he says he is not losing his sleep over it,as he has other films in hand.
In fact,work is keeping him so busy,that he couldnt join wife Aishwarya who was walking the red carpet for the tenth time at Cannes this year,and neither could he take time off to explore Russia during the shooting of Players. It was unfortunate that I couldnt join her as I was shooting in Russia during that time. It was just work,work and more work there. One of the tragedies of being an actor is that we travel to the most exotic locations to shoot but never really get the opportunity to explore the place,learn about its history or enjoy the culture, he says with a sigh.
Also challenging is his role as a producer at which he proved he is extremely adept with Balkis Paa,his first production. The shooting of his second film as producer,Bbuddha-Hoga Terra Baap is already complete. I think that if you have a good team,and a director who shares your vision then its very easy. I was very lucky to have Balki as a director in my first film,with a great team from AB Corp and Sunil Manchanda. Similarly I have a great team for Bbuddha, says the actor-producer.
AB Corp has also produced an interesting array of regional films in Bangla,Marathi and Gujarati. How does he decide on the language and the criteria for selecting a regional film? My mother handles that department. Its her baby and vision. She takes all the decisions, he says.
On the endorsement front too,two of Abhisheks Idea ads featured in the top 10 list,one of them scoring 88 per cent on awareness and 95 percent on brand recall,shrugging off competition from food and beverage companies. The tag-line An Idea can change your life has really caught on and has brought the actor in the spotlight in the brandwagon. What is the first thing he sees when he is offered an endorsement?
It is a mix of many things. However,one of the most important things is Do I,or would I use this product? he smiles,signing off.
geety.sahgal@expressindia.com
