Cinema TOday

Abhishek Bachchan is closely guarded about his private life. So questions on Aishwarya Rai and marriage are not entertained. "I have friends in the media but they are not my best friends that I will discuss my personal life with them," he asserts. Last year the media kept a hawk's eye on the Bachchans. Did he think that dealing with the media was an occupational hazard? Abhishek echoes the statement that his father Amitabh endorses too.

"If you have a problem with the media intrusion, then don't be a celebrity. As simple as that. The media is a part of our territory. I have always believed in the power of the media," says Abhishek, who philosophically quotes, "We enter the film industry in search of recognition and fame and when we achieve that, we wear sunglasses and roam around so as not to be recognised. Strange, isn't it?"

The topic then veers to his latest film Guru. The film has Abhishek and Aishwarya paired opposite each other again. However, their earlier releases like Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, Kuch Na Kaho and Umrao Jaan failed to make an impact at the box office. Abhishek rubbishes the charge. "I think the pairing bit is the most ridiculous speculation made. I don't know what pairing has to do with box office success of a film. It is high time we realise that it is not about the actors, it is about the film. If your film is liked by the audience they will like everything about it, actors happen to be a part of the team. The biggest of actors have had films that have poor openings. Films are not about actors but good scripts and the art of storytelling," he says.

Ask him if he was disturbed while enacting a complex character like Guru Kant Desai? "I was disturbed everyday," he laughs and adds, "I think while playing a character like Guru Kant Desai one should be disturbed because it brings the best out of you. When you are disturbed, you work even harder to make sure you are not disturbed the next morning. I don't think I could have given such convincing performance had I had a complacent attitude towards it."

Talking about working with director Mani Ratnam once again after Yuva, Abhishek says, "Firstly Mani Ratnam's humble question — 'Would you work with me again?'— just throws you off. Which actor in his right senses would not want to work with Mani Ratnam? Also you know that if Mani has offered you a film, he is going to push the envelope and it is not going be anything easy. It had to be challenging and would definitely satisfy an actor's creative urge."

Though Aankhen was a flop, producer Gaurang Doshi has gone ahead and announced Aankhen 2. He says it's the second in the Aankhen series and that he will continue making Aankhen till the audience accepts it. Braveheart Doshi says, "Aankhen 2 is not a sequel. I would prefer to call it an Aankhen series."

Aankhen 2 will star Amitabh Bachchan and Paresh Rawal but rest of the cast may not be the same from the original Aankhen that he produced in 2002. When asked how different will Aankhen 2 be from the first one, Doshi said, "There will be no blind robbers in part two like the first part had. The movie will be much bigger in budget and will star three more heroes. Also, it won't be directed by Vipul Shah who directed the first one."

Aankhen starred Big B along with Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Sen. It was a thriller about three blind men robbing a bank, masterminded by the ex-manager of the same bank. Despite its different storyline Aankhen was a box office dud.

There's a new and absolutely irreversible mutual admiration club brewing between director Ram Gopal Varma and actress Sushmita Sen on the sets of Sholay. So taken up is the prolific director with Sushmita's performance as the widow Devi (played by Jaya Bachchan in the original Sholay), that he intends to cast her again as soon as he finds the right role for her.

"The problem is she can't be cast in any ordinary role. I always knew Sushmita was a superb actress. She has immense intelligence and she understands the medium fully. Now while directing her I feel she has brought to the widow's role the kind of quiet wisdom and sensitivity which I've never seen before," Varma said.

"Sushmita's scenes with her screen brother-in-law Mohanlal are among the highlights of Sholay. So far, she has mostly played talkative characters. But Sholay proves that silences are Sushmita's forte," added Varma. Sushmita is equally enthused by Varma's work-modalities. She said, "It's a dream-come-true for me. I just love that man's creative energy. Varma is one director I've waited to work with. I've pestered him repeatedly to work together."

Actor Sameer Dattani had a "fulfilling 2006" and is looking forward to his upcoming three films —Mukhbiir, Mumbai Marathon and Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi. Vikram Bhatt's Life Mein... is about five friends played by Dino Morea, Aftab Shivdasani, Nauheed Cyrusi, newcomer Anjorie Alag and Sameer, and their tryst with life after graduation.

"It's a young vibrant film about our quest for happiness and a career. I play Jai Gokhale, a youngster who joins politics in his search for power. The film is about our various struggles in life and hence everyone will be able to relate to it," says Sameer. Life Mein... also traces a young man's relationship with an older woman.