Abhi was flawless in Bluffmaster: Amitabh

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan, who bagged the best actor trophy at the Star Screen Awards as well as the Apsara Awards for his stupendous performance in Black, is all praise for son Abhishek's performance in Bluffmaster. Following are excerpts from an interview: How much have you recovered?

I am getting along. But it takes time. The awards season has started and you have bagged the bestactor award for Black.

It feels very, very good. Sanjay Bhansali (director of Black) swept the Apsara Awards. Both Jaya and Abhishek were unable to go. So, Sanjay collected the Best Actor Award on my behalf and called me after the function. I won the Best Actor Award and Ayesha Kapoor won the Best Supporting Actor Award. So cute! When will you attend an awards function, maybe the Filmfare Awards?

I don't know if I can attend that. It all depends on what the doctors say. I can't be subjected to any investigation or scan to see if I am healing well. I just have to wait for nature to take its course. It can take any amount of time. I am gradually going back to my normal diet and routine... My body has to go through a whole re-orientation. Star Plus has given an indication that you might be shooting for them from February end?

How can one order the body to get into action again? It will happen when it will. When the doctors say it's fine, I'll inform all the producers. It's unfortunate, but what to do? Shockingly, neither of your two post-illness releases Ek Ajnabee or Family has lived up to expectations.

Why, what's so shocking about it? If a film is not liked by the public, it doesn't work. Maybe audiences don't want to see you in gun-toting action roles.

Then I won't do them... Simple. The audience always lets its pleasure and displeasure known. If they don't go for a particular kind of film, it's a signal for us that we don't feature in such films... I actually told the makers of Family including Raj ji (Santoshi) that I was doing a similar film, Sarkar... Somewhere I felt there was a similarity between the two. But the makers of Family felt their film was different. Immediately after your recovery do you return to Karan Johar and Ravi Chopra's films?

Yes. There's some work left in Karan's Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna and a lot of work in Ravi's Babul. The moment I can get to work, I will. I have only two films on the floor. Vinod Chopra's Eklavya is over. What about the assignments that are supposed to start this year?

We'll adjust the dates accordingly. Abhishek was spectacularly successful in 2005.

I am very proud of him. Jaya and I did nothing special for him. We supported him like any other parents. Once the camera starts (rolling) your impact depends entirely on your acumen and performance. Abhishek has fought many odds. Today he has proved himself. He had several successes last year. By far the most exciting moments last year were those where I was with him on screen. Those films will always remain special. He also sang a song in Bluffmaster, which has proved to be a chartbuster. I found his performance in Bluffmaster to be the best so far. This may sound ridiculous. But I know what I am talking about. He was extremely subtle in the film. It was a wonderful, nearly flawless performance.

What was the best thing to have happened in 2005?

The success of Black. It was a marvellous experience. All the faculties available to an artiste were put to use within me, thanks to Sanjay.

Source: Hindustan Times, Delhi