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AB Baby... |
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| BACHCHANALIA: Aby Baby stands up frame for frame with Big B. |
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Today, Abhishek is the most sought after actor in town,
creating a buzz not only in the commercial circuit but
also in other schools of filmmaking, like his latest
release, Rituparno Ghosh’s Antarmahal. Soha Ali Khan,
who comes from a star family herself, was in awe of
Abhishek while working with him in Antarmahal, in which
she had to slap him. She says, “In this film, I had to
slap Abhishek. I was nervous, firstly because he is
Abhishek Bachchan and secondly he is so tall. I was
wondering how I would reach up to slap him. I was up the
whole night thinking how I would do it. The next day I
went up to Rituparno and told him that I was nervous. He
took me aside and asked me to slap him. I told him I could
not because he is my director. I managed to slap him
softly and he was like “Slap me hard”. After slapping
him about 20 times, he told me to go and give the shot. So
I was quite comfortable slapping Abhishek Bachchan.” |
| Aby Baby’s mama’s boy attitude hasn’t hurt his newly acquired cool image |
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Border producer JP Dutta is a die-hard fan of the young
star. “Abhishek Bachchan is my hero in Umrao Jaan,” JP
announces proudly amidst hectic pre-production work and
music recordings with lyricist Javed Akhtar and composer
Anu Malik. “That project unfortunately got shelved.
Instead Refugee happened. But my dream of casting Abhishek
in the classic mould remained alive within me.” Pausing
and pondering, JP proceeds, “After Ash was cast as Umrao,
I needed a man who could look like a poet and a dreamer,
and at the same time could stand next to her as an ideal
partner. When I closed my eyes, I could only see Abhishek.”
For all his cool image, Abhishek remains a papa’s boy
at heart. At awards functions he can be seen either
holding Amitabh’s arm or mama’s shoulder. He is
clearly living in happier times because if it had not been
for the arrival of the metrosexual man, he could have been
branded a sissy. And what’s more, he keeps parroting
before interviewers that he is proud of his father’s
success. Fortunately, it hasn’t hurt his newly acquired
image.
What Abhishek doesn’t wear on his sleeve, however, is
the fact that deep down he is a well-bred actor. His
schooling in Montreaux, Switzerland, has penetrated deep
down, which shows as most of his co-stars would testify.
Bollywood belles swear that he makes you feel right at
home in his presence. And like Bachchan, he throws no
tantrums nor does he have any airs. With his brooding
looks, his box office appeal and his disarming smile
combined with a no-airs policy that naturally endears him
to hard-pressed producers, Bachchan II is likely to be a
marquee that will stay on Bollywood boulevard for a long,
long time. |
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December 2005
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