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| Abhishek Bachchan at Taj Bengal on Friday. Picture: Anindya Shankar Ray |
In town to launch Omega’s first boutique in Calcutta on Camac Street (Camac Square), Bachchan Junior, looking dapper in his Tom Ford suit, chatted with t2 about Calcutta, Rituda, Dhoom: 3, working with wife Aishwarya, and choosing emotion over strategy.
You tweeted ‘Kolkata, kemon achen?’ Calcutta wants to know how Abhishek Bachchan is!
I am very well. I also tweeted in the morning that it truly is the city of joy. My father (Amitabh Bachchan) used to tell me before I became an actor, that if ever you are low in life or your self-esteem is down, go to Calcutta. They will put a smile on your face. And they always manage it. It is a city I hold very dear to me.
I have shot two very special films here — Yuva and Antarmahal, the latter with the late Rituda (Rituparno Ghosh), who was very close to the family. He was the only director who has managed to work with my entire family. He’s worked with dad, mom (Jaya Bachchan), Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan) and myself. He’s the only director in the country who has done that.
I have been coming to Calcutta since I was a child. My first memory of coming and spending a day here was with the great Satyajit Ray. I remember my parents had gone to visit him. He was very old and ailing at that point of time.
It’s just a wonderful city. Just the love people give us. There is a great relation between the family and Calcutta, obviously mom being Bengali and dad having lived here for five years, Aishwarya having done extensive work here…. I have done a lot of work here. So, it’s always wonderful to come back.
You also tweeted that you are ‘Missing Rituda’. That’s also an emotional connect for you...
Definitely! I have known Rituda since I was a child. He was a very close friend of my mother’s. He was more family than anything else. He was present at our wedding as well. He is somebody who left us too early, too suddenly and we miss him.
When you were driving down to Camac Street, did you cross any of the Yuva shooting spots?
We crossed many actually. We had shot a lot around Victoria Memorial, a lot of the parks and the tram obviously. I was pointing it out in the car... the second Hooghly Bridge.... It is a city which is filled with a lot of memories. One of my best friends from college used to live in Calcutta. He got married here. So, I have spent a lot of time here.
Have you ever visited places your dad frequented in Calcutta?
No, never. The last time I was here with him, he very casually pointed out places. But I remember when I was shooting for Yuva, he used to tell me to go to certain places. He said, ‘Don’t forget to have the phuchka outside Victoria Memorial’, ‘go to K.C. Das to get your sandesh’. He gave me pointers.
We actually shot in the same building where he used to work for Bird and Co, but I don’t think the office was there anymore. But it was the same building, I know.
How much has the city changed since your last visit?
You know I have come here after actually three years. I was last here for the premiere of Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey. The development is sensational. The drive from the airport, I remember, used to be empty. That outer ring road has developed. All the buildings are finally made. It’s wonderful to see Calcutta booming again. All these modern structures also coming up. It just goes to show that the city is doing well, the state is doing well.
What about the new airport?
Brilliant! I remember the old Calcutta airport. And suddenly we landed in this mammoth structure. It’s wonderful! The thing I liked the most were the inscriptions on the ceiling. That was nice.
Coming to films, you have been busy with Farah Khan’s Happy New Year…
It is too early to talk. We have had our first schedule. Now, we carry on in Mumbai. I am about to start my new film, day after tomorrow. I am doing a film with Umesh Shukla. He directed Oh My God!. He is starting his new film with me, Asin and Rishi Kapoor. It is a family drama. It is a wonderfully sensitive script, which I am very excited about.
Though you’ve had releases almost every year, your fans say that you should work more…
Yes, I actually have. The last one year has been a bit slow because Dhoom (3) kept getting delayed for some reason or the other. So, we all got busy shooting that. My last release was Bol Bachchan, which was last year. And now there will be Dhoom, which will be this December. There is a lot more work coming up. So, I won’t keep them waiting this long!
Dhoom: 3 is looking exciting. What is ACP Jai Dixit up to this time?
Well, doing what he does best — going after the bad guys and bashing them. Uday (Chopra) and I love being a part of Dhoom. We have been working on this franchise for close to 10 years. And it’s a lot of fun. It is not a film that is intense and serious. Have fun with your family and enjoy it with popcorn. I hope Dhoom: 3 lives up to all the expectations that people have from it.
Does this Dhoom film have the most challenging action scenes?
All of them have been challenging. The kind of stunts that we did in Dhoom had never been tried before when the film came out. Dhoom: 2 pushed that envelope. It is our duty to push that envelope with Dhoom: 3. You try to push the envelope and try something bigger and better.
You have been in the industry for more than a decade now. Do you now pick and choose films that you will be remembered for?
The day you pick and choose a film, ‘this I will be remembered for’, you’ve already made a mistake. You should pick a film which touches your heart and inspires you because if your heart isn’t in your work, then what’s the point of doing it? I don’t think you should do it for strategic reasons, but emotional reasons. That’s the way I work.
But emotional decisions can often go wrong…
No, I think anybody who is true with the emotions will never go wrong. That’s the kind of person I am. I have lived by the rule. With cinema, a good film will touch you. A good film manages to move you emotionally. That’s the only criterion. That is true for anything in life. Your mind might tell you something else, your heart will tell you something else. I have always gone with my heart. I don’t think the audience comes in to see a film for strategic reasons. They come in for emotional reasons. They see a trailer, they see a song… they connect with it… ‘we want to see it.’ There is no greater feeling than when you come out of a movie feeling wonderful that you’ve seen a film that has creatively satisfied you. That’s the only reason why you should do films.
Is this something that you’ve picked up from your parents?
I think this is something life teaches you. These are things that you cannot pick up from other people. I have great examples at home… both my parents.
So, how excited are you about working with wife Aishwarya in Happy Anniversary? Is there any truth to that?
No, no. Prahlad (Kakkar) is a very old friend of Aishwarya’s. He used to be her neighbour. He’s approached us saying he has a script that he is keen to narrate. That’s it. Unfortunately, people jump the gun sometimes and I believe the producers have made some sort of an announcement, but that is not true. He wants to narrate a script to us and we are yet to hear it. If it gets approved, then there will be an announcement. Right now, I cannot confirm anything. It is too premature.
When will we see the Guru magic again?
Very soon, I hope. I love working with Aishwarya. I think she is one of the finest performers we have.
How is Aaradhya doing?
She is very well. Right now, the only thing she likes to watch is cartoons. She is not even two.
Do you watch Kaun Banega Crorepati?
You know, KBC is one of my favourite shows. I was in Dubai when it started. I happen to know the host! (Laughs) I have a bit of pull with him! So, he has given me the DVDs of all the shows. I am going to start watching it.
And finally, are you watching Chelsea in EPL?
Yes, I support Chelsea. This season’s going to be very exciting. There are four-five teams contending for the top slot. It should be a very competitive season.
Favourite accessory:
Watches. I am passionate about them. That’s one thing I never leave home without.
Reading at the moment:
My film script!
Music I am listening to:
A bit of EDM.
Last film watched:
Haven’t seen a film in a long time.
Best-dressed Bachchan?
My daughter (Aaradhya)!
