Heart –Talk with Abhishek Bachchan

Heart –Talk with Abhishek Bachchan
Abhishek Bachchan: “Aishwarya and I get along very well. She's like my best friend."
...............................................
It’s not easy being the son of the biggest superstar of the Indian screen. And Abhishek Bachchan has realized this slow and steady. From a non-actor to a star to an actor with myriad shades, his evolution as an artiste has been dramatic. He’s certainly not the media’s delight – no scathing interviews no screaming headlines and no raging scandals.
But he packs up all the excitement with his work instead. Right now, quite easily, he’s the only actor to work with such a vast variety of New-Gen filmmakers – from Mani Ratnam to Rajiv Menon to Rakeysh Mehra to Abhinay Deo. And we like it when he surprises us once in a while with a commercial entertainer loaded with dollops of cheesy humour – like ‘Dostana’. We catch up with the junior B in the midst of his roller-coaster schedule for a ‘Get Snappy’ session.
Junior Bachchan has a high regard for his wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Though media cooked many conflicting stories of them, Abhishek Bachchan proved all those stories wrong and revealed the secret of their successful relationship. He never mess with Ash as they understand each other well and the best part of Ash is that she cares and loves Abhi’s parents more than him.

What makes Ash-Abhi’s relationship more beautiful and grip is that Abhi never ever mess with Ash and also does not feel insulted on bowing before his wife if he does any wrong. He said, “I am not the kind of person who thinks you lose face when you apologize.” Bachchan confessed, “We men are nothing. So don't ever mess with women. They have a fantastic ability to sulk. They remember everything. So there's no point fighting with them because you will never win. And you know what's worse? Even when you fight, at the end of the day you want to sleep peacefully. You certainly don't want to end up on the couch. Always remember that the woman holds the keys to the house!"

Abhi praises Ash in the following words, "Aishwarya isn't hoity-toity at all. She's a very normal lady. Very loving. I really love the way that she takes care of my parents. That means a lot to me. I am very particular about my parents. I care for them, as any son would. You are always tense about your wife's relationship with your parents. But in our case, my wife's best friend is my mother. She calls my parents more than I do. She's really become part of the family. And to top it all, she manages to look beautiful even when you get up in the morning. Now that's fantastic. Ash and I get along very well. She's like my best friend."

You’re ready to plunge straight into your next project with the director of ‘Delhi Belly’?
Yes, I’m doing Abhinay Deo’s film. I’ve always been impressed by his ads. And when I heard he was making feature films, I was keen to work with him.

In the past one-year, you’ve worked with directors as diverse as Rakeysh Mehra and Mani Ratnam. Has that been a deliberate decision?
Oh, it was huge. My first release last year was ‘Sarkar Raj’. Then I went on to do ‘Drona’. I ended the year with ‘Dostana’ and ‘Delhi 6’. I had a wonderful time making all of them. I’m happy with the work I’ve done regardless of whether the film has been successful or not. The important thing is to enjoy the journey of making the film. Because that’s all you finally take home. I look back on the year with fond memories.

‘Dostana’ was a huge success but you’ve had no time for celebrations. You’ve been busy shooting non-stop for Mani Ratnam.
Of course, we’ll have a party when we get back. But at the moment, I’m celebrating by doing more quality work.

Are you happy to be a gay icon? You and John have even got an award for being the best on-screen jodi…
I’m very happy being a gay icon. Why should I be surprised or shocked? I think homosexuals are as human as anyone else. It’s a matter of great pride if I’m their icon. John and I are the jodi of the moment. Other screen couples can go eat their hearts out.
Whom were you copying in ‘Dostana’?

There’s been a lot of activity along with some stress in the family of late. Does it bog you down?
No. I don’t stress about what happens outside my work area.I focus on my work area. Everyone is under pressure. You just have to deal with it. My stress-buster is my work. That’s my main concern in life. And if I can’t focus on the work then I’ve no business being an actor. That’s one of the first things you’re taught at an acting school.

You seem to have become Mani Ratnam’s new favourite.
And I’m very excited. Every time I come together with Mani, there’s something special happening. ‘Guru’ gave me a role that I didn’t expect to get at this age and stage of my career. When Mani or Ramu are there, they’re bound to give you a challenging role. For them, it isn’t about commercial viability. It’s about conviction. Some of my closest friends had told me ‘Guru’ wouldn’t work. It went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year.

How much have you evolved as an actor?
Without sounding arrogant, I’d like to say I think I’ve evolved as an actor. I’m still learning and I’ll be learning till the day I’m an actor. Look at my father at 65. He continues to evolve. In comparison to him, there’s a long way to go.