Aishwarya speaks better Bengali than me: Abhishek

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In Kolkata for an event recently, Abhishek Bachchan spoke to CT about life, career -and everything in between!

An actor, a doting father, a sports0 enthusiast and a film buff Abhishek Bachchan loves coming back to Kolkata whenever an opportunity comes his way . In the city to attend an event, he spoke to CT about his daughter, Aaradhya, dad Amitabh Bachchan's ongoing TV show, his love for sports, film projects and how he was affected by his beautiful wife Aishwarya's weight-gain controversy. Excerpts:
You have shot extensively in Kolkata in the past. How is it like to be back in the city?

It's always wonderful to be back. It feels like coming home. I have spent so much time here and done so much work that it feels like an extension of my family . I love the city and it has always given me a lot of love.
READ: Abhishek Bachchan holidays with Aishwarya, Jaya and Shweta

Can you speak Bengali?

My nani's biggest regret in life is that I never learnt fluent Bengali. I can understand bits and parts, but my wife speaks better Bengali than me. She has done two films with Rituda (Rituparna Ghosh). So, she picked it up while working in Chokher Bali and Raincoat. Sometimes, she converses with mom in Bengali when they don't want the boys to understand what's going on. 😳

Being a sports enthusiast, if you had to do a biopic, whose would it be?

I would have done Yuvraj Singh's, because I like his careergraph. The tale of Major Dhyan Chand is also a story dying to be told. I think Shah Rukh should do it because he looks a lot like him. Shah Rukh was also a national-level hockey player in school. So, I think he would be absolutely apt for it. I would have loved to do it too, but then my physical attributes don't match Major Dhyan Chand's.

Is Aaradhya too showing interest in sports?

She is just two-and-a-half ! She just likes to play around, and as a father, I love to play with her.

As a family, do you play any sport -indoor or outdoor?

We get very little time together because everybody is so busy with their individual work. Whenever we do get time together, we just sit down and catch up. One thing the entire family loves to do together is watch movies. But we haven't done that in a long time now. Mom is in Delhi, dad in Gujarat, Aishwarya in Mumbai and I'm in Kolkata. We rarely get time. We last saw some English film together, but that was quite a while ago, as Aishwarya has just returned from England, where she had gone for the opening of the Commonwealth Games, I was in Brazil with my dad for the World Cup, mom has been busy in Parliament. Although we all live together, we hardly get to see each other.

Have you watched any episode of Yudh?

We try and catch it as often as possible.

Your father has made the transition from films to TV. Do you plan to do the same?

I did a TV game show once. As for fiction, I haven't thought about it. For me, acting is acting, whether it's in films, TV or theatre. But I think TV is a great medium. It's wonderful how it has become a platform important enough to attract film actors.

Which films you are working on at present?

My next film is Happy New Year, which is now in post-production. I am also shooting a film called All Is Well, which is directed by Umesh Shukla and stars Rishi Kapoor, Smriti Irani and Asin.

Your chemistry with Aishwarya has been much appreciated in some recent commercials. Any plans of starring together again?

Nothing as of now. Most of the time people don't understand the fact that when you are part of a family in which everyone is an actor, it's not like 'Oh let's do a film together.' Individually , everybody has to be creatively satisfied with a story . So, as and when we come across something that we will enjoy , we will do it.

Aishwarya is making a comeback with Jazba...

What comeback? She never went anywhere, she has always been here. But yes, she is going to be doing Jazba, and I am excited. It should be a lot of fun. She has a lot of work lined up. For somebody who has always loved her work and who I have huge respect and admiration for as an actor, I think it's fantastic that we will get to see her on screen soon.

Did the tirade of criticism about Aishwarya and her weight-gain affect you somewhat?

I think it's disgusting. It's even worse that the media managed to carry stuff like that. Whoever carried that news is equally responsible, because it is like giving a platform to somebody to voice that kind of an opinion. What kind of example were they setting? Also, it's very incorrect to pass comments on anybody's personal attributes. I don't do it; I don't know why anybody has to do it.

But she did look fabulous in Cannes this time. It did put an end to speculations...

I don't think that was the intention. She doesn't care about all these things. For her, it's like water off a duck's back. As a husband, it did affect me. I was very upset with it. I think it was in very bad taste.

You are quite active on the social media, and you get trolled a lot too...

Yes, some of the jokes on me are quite funny. I think if you can't stand the heat, then don't stand in the kitchen. If you are a public figure, you have to be ready for the bouquets as well as brickbats. I like it because it keeps me grounded.

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OMG! Aishwarya can speak Bengali ! 👏 🥳