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Abhishek Bachchan has an air of remarkable ease about himself. For over 16 years now the man has constantly been identified as, or spoken about, predominantly, as Amitabh Bachchan’s son. Surely, he has left his footprints on celluloid with noteworthy performances in movies such as Yuva, Guru and Paa. But the incessant comparison remains. Bachchan Junior maintains that he never took that pressure for the reasons he explains in this interview. Ahead of the release his forthcoming endeavour Housefull 3, co-starring Riteish Deshmukh, Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandes, Nargis Fakhri, Lisa Haydon and Boman Irani—AB spoke with India.com. Take a look! ALSO READ: Revealed! The real reason why Abhishek Bachchan walked away from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at Sarbjit premiere
First up, you are working with Akshay Kumar in Housefull 3. Akki has always been fit and fabulous! Have you got fitter after working with him?
I think he (Akshay Kumar) has become fitter after working with me! (Laughs)
Somehow films with ensemble cast have worked in your favour. Do you agree? And the stock question-why Housefull 3?
The script is great fun! It is mad! We knew right from the beginning that we were going to have a blast. I have worked with Sajid-Farhad when they were writers on Bol Bachchan and now it is exciting to work with them again when they are directing this one! Also, the well-proposed cast made me sign Housefull 3! Predominantly, I signed on the dotted line because the whole story is mad! ALSO READ: Housefull 3: Akshay Kumar-Jacqueline Fernandes, Abhishek Bachchan-Nargis Fakhri or Riteish Deshmukh-Lisa Haydon: Which is the hottest pair?
You haven’t been a part of Housefull franchise. And now we are being introduced to you in the forthcoming installment. How does that work for the project as indeed for you?
I never thought of it that way! When I first heard the story it was an instinctive yes, immediately! It dawns onto you much later that this film is an established franchise and then you start feeling more responsible as a performer. But when you are making the film, you don’t want all these thought enter your mind and destruct the process.
What does the brand Housefull mean to you and how different this zone is from your earlier comic outings like Dostana or Bol Bachchan?
It is a slapstick comedy which I haven’t done before.
Does this film provide enough platform to each actor to get their skills on the table (since it’s an ensemble cast)?
Yes, evidently!
Does Abhishek Bachchan choose to do an ensemble film? Solo lead like Guru has worked for you in the past. So why restrict yourself to multi-star movies?
I disagree with that notion, fundamentally! I don’t think Guru was a solo (lead) movie-It had three heroes. It had Abhishek Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborthy and R Madhavan. It had Vidya Balan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan too! It was a multistarrer! ALSO READ: Housefull 3: Three reasons why we loved the new poster featuring Akshay Kumar, Abhishek Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh!
But the movie revolved predominantly around your character, didn’t it?
It’s very presumptuous to say that. In fact, I have some sort of allergy to this whole solo-hero notion. Film making is a collaborative process. You will get bored if you have to see only me for two and a half hours. You choose from what is available to you or you wait till you get a film that falls within the parameter of what you want to do!
Does the process work ditto when you wear the hat of a producer?
Oh yes! This year we finished shooting pink, which we are co-producing. Last year we did Piku and Shamitabh. The process is more-or-less the same. You are driven by conviction and instinct all the time!
It seems that you are at ease when you are doing comedy…
Not really! It is the most difficult thing to do. Having said that, for the first time in my career, I am doing an-out-out slapstick comedy, I have done situational comedies before but had never dabbled in this genre. It is dangerous for an actor to settle into one zone so the endeavour is to try something is always refreshing!
How does it work to be instructed/directed by two directors or the directors jodis like Abbas-Mastan or Sajid-Farhad?
They function as a unit. They are not two people! They operate practically like one individual in the end!
Housefull 3 is the domain of Akshay and Riteish while you are new to the franchise. Does that put more pressure on you, as you have to be in sync with the actors who have been an integral part of the franchise for so long?
The two are fabulous actor and you know that at the end of the day the experience of working with them will only enrich you!
Has Abhishek Bachchan evolved and has he become immune to the unreasonable pressure the media constantly put on him given that he is Amitabh Bachchan’s son? Is the proverbial monkey off your chest now?
I never took that pressure. It is the media that had the pressure to constantly compare. I never thought about it. Because if I start thinking about it, that’s all I am going to do and keep thinking about about it, which is a silly thing to do! He (Big B) is the mountain of talent. Any actor who has come after him should realize that you are never going to reach that height—that’s it! That is the standard! So when you know that fact you have to just focus on your work for that’s all you can do!
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