He’s been making more headlines than any actor of late, but that’s been largely because of his celebrated nuptials with Aishwarya Rai.
Abhishek Bachchan is thrilled, however, about his Friday release, director Shaad Ali’s Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, a mad comedy that casts him with Preity Zinta, Bobby Deol and Lara Dutta.
Abhi just loves everything to do with Jhoom, and here are some excerpts from his gushing:
What do you think of the music of Jhoom?
This is Shaad’s second film with me, and coming off a film like Bunty Aur Babli, it’s a great task to try and create an album which captures the flavour of the film, the madness and the flamboyance of the film — and try and outdo the previous album. I am really and fully convinced that — after a lot of hard work put in by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Shaad and Gulzarsaab — they have actually managed to completely outdo Bunty Aur Babli.
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom is by far one of the best albums I have ever heard in my life. It is so full of energy, and it’s a perfect representation of what the film is. It captures the madness the flamboyance, the attitude, the romance and just magnifies it a hundred folds. It’s flawless!
Which is your favourite song?
It’s very tough to choose. I love the song between Preity and me, Bolna halke halke, a romantic track. I think that’s a wonderful song. It’s also one of the few songs on a slower tempo, while the others are very high energy, so it’s a welcome change.
It’s a beautiful track which is beautifully sung and written, wonderfully picturised. And obviously I am partial to the title track just for its sheer energy, it’s superb.
The look in JBJ has been highly appreciated…
I would prefer not to call it the ‘look’ of the film, but the attitude. When you have Shaad as the captain of the ship, you know there’s going to be oodles of attitude and a very distinctive style. I think Jhoom is the most precise representation of what Shaad is like in real life. I think he gave everybody a peek through the window in Bunty Aur Babli, showing how mad he actually is and how flamboyant is he and what a genius he is.
And I think he’s truly allowed everybody to look into his soul in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. This is Shaad Ali Sehgal all the way. It’s totally him, his film and everything is owed to him in this film. He’s responsible for every inch.
What was it like working with Aki Narula?
Aki has worked with us in Bunty Aur Babli, and it was wonderful to reprise most of the team this time around. Aki as a designer is very flamboyant, he loves style and to blow things out of the water and he got a film in which he could really freak out. He was so much in tune with what Shaad wanted and they together have managed to come up with a look which was really needed for the film.
The look is distinctive, very special and something that aided the performance a lot. So when you wear those kinds of clothes, accessories, with your hair and the makeup, it helps you become the character. I always believe that looking the part is 50% of your job, and that is largely aided by the work of Aki Narula. I really think its the finest piece of costume design in Hindi films, till date.
Which is your favourite outfit from the film?
I like all of them. My costumes allowed me as a human being, as an actor, to do and wear things I would never have dreamt of. The kind of clothes Aki has come up with in this film I don’t think I would ever be content with, but they suited the character, Rikki Thukral brilliantly. It was just a pleasure to get into somebody elses skin, be so loud, and get away with it.
When we shot in the streets of London, people used to actually stare at the lead actors and really wonder why we were wearing such clothes, and we used to become conscious at times. I think Preity was the most sober of the lot, followed by Bobby, then Lara and I was the maddest. But although we were very conscious while shooting, I think once you see the film the costumes don’t jump at you, because of the world created by Shaad and (Ayananka) Bose, our cinematographer. It takes you to a different world of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, and I think every technician working on the film manages helps the audience reach that world.
How did Jhoom happen to you? What made you decide to do the film?
This was a story told to me when we were shooting for Bunty Aur Babli, it was then called Sangam Mein. It kept evolving — it moved from Delhi station to Waterloo Station. It grew in stature and style and scale, so its something I can very luckily say I was blessed to see right from its inception. I think it helped a lot that I knew of the script and the idea from the ideation stage, because it helps to acquaint oneself with the script and the character. So it’s a lot of fun for me to see it grow, and finally become a great film that’s about to come.
Have you also grown as an actor from Bunty to Jhoom?
I think the main aspect is the confidence. When I took on Bunty aur Babli, there was a huge confidence problem because I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to manage that level. I tried very hard to maintain a very high pitch, something Shaad really likes. Shaad is a believer that anybody can do that, but to carry off a character which is very high octane is very tough. I thought Bunty was one such character, very tough to do.
After I completed Bunty aur Babli and saw the film, I had confidence in Shaad. In the sense that he always believed in me as an actor and I was happy that he managed to take out the performance in me. So when Jhoom came along there wasn’t any apprehension towards the film or the character, although it was ten notches above Bunty aur Babli in attitude and pitch, but now we were more bullish about the film and we said ‘let’s do it.’
One criticism that came our way for Bunty Aur Babli was that audiences felt it was like two separate films. That it shouldn’t have been a serious love story at the end, that audiences just wanted to see the madness of Bunti and Babli. I felt, in some part, maybe we and the filmmakers felt that we have to give it some sort of gravity to justify the characters and make them more human, and that we can’t make a film which is just a laugh riot, showing these two kids doing crazy things.
I think we weren’t confident enough and trying to be a bit safe, but we throw emotions into the wind with Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. It’s gone all the way, and it’s a thoroughly entertaining film, it’s very funny. It’s what Adi (Aditya Chopra, producer) says, ‘masala to the core,’ and I think that’s how we have grown, Shaad and me. I think we have the confidence to take on more like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and blow it up and play it on the scale and the way we want it.
People speak with great expectations about a Shaad-Abhishek bond, even though its just your second film.
It’s the comfort, I think. Shaad has the comfort of knowing he can be himself in front of me and he want be judged, and I love him for the person he is. And vice versa, I can be completely me and I have no inhibitions from him.
He’s a very open person and I think that’s very exciting for an actor, and most importantly, he loves his artists. Nothing is more important to him, and he is very protective about them, literally treating them like children.
Although this is my second film under Shaad as a director, I have done four films in which he helped on humour: he even worked on Guru with me. He’s a great friend and one of the primary reasons I ‘got’ humour. I think when there is chemistry between the director and his actor it always comes through.
It’s because he demands a lot. Jhoom is very unrealistic, and in terms of what is required of an actor, it can scare you. Like you are standing outside one of the great institutions in Paris, about which he have learnt in school, and you are outside dancing with 50 French dancers — rather ostentatiously and madly — in this very messed up look, singing Ticket to Hollywood with vulgar movements!
So he has to help you forget there is a world around you, and keep you in the work of the film and Shaad always manages to do that.
What is it like working with your father?
When you are in front of the camera, you are an actor and you have to forget your personal relationship. Otherwise, they are going to hamper your performances.
For example, you are standing in front of the camera with Amitabh Bachchan, and you think ‘oh my god that’s my father in front of me!’ You are definitely going to get intimidated. Overall, you have to try and be professional, even though it’s tough.
How was it working with Bobby, for the first time?
I have known him since I was a kid, and finally we got an opportunity to work together. I am glad we never got the opportunity to work together before this and that this is our first movie together, because this is the right film for us. He’s just wonderful. He is one of the sweetest co-stars one can ask for — thoroughly professional, always ready to help out, he was all that I thought to be and much more, on the set and as an actor. I just feel so privileged to be a part of a film with him and where we get to share screen space.
You and Lara have worked before…
Yes, in Mumbai se aaya mera dost. She’s like a sister to me and I love her very much. The amount Lara has grown as an actor is stupendous, and she seems to be growing leaps and bounds in every film. To take on a film like Jhoom was a big step for Lara; she’s never done anything like this before and I am so happy she did it.
She’s superb, you will see Lara in a role she has never done before. Shaad and Adi have given her a wonderful role and she hasn’t let anybody down. There were times she would perform and the entire unit would clap for her. She’s done such a good job.
And Preity?
Preity is very natural with her performance. The best thing about Preity is that she looks after her co-stars when they are in front of the camera. She’s forever ensuring that my makeup was okay, and she would correct my hair if it was out of place before the shot. Usually we actors are very selfish, but Preity looks at a film in entirety and she has no problems with other actors being on the set.
Contradictory to this whole bubbly, young image, she really is like a mother: she takes care of everyone, making sure everybody has eaten, suggesting good restaurants and wanting to rehearse together. She just loves to rehearse and you will not come across many actors who would like to do that, and put in the kind of work she does. She works very hard to achieve a natural performance. She is great fun and I am very happy that she is a part of the film. I am so glad the whole team came so well together.
How is it working in a multistarrer rather than a solo film?
I prefer an ensemble cast any day. I think it’s very lonely and boring to be standing in front of the camera alone, delivering dialogues. The more the merrier!
I feel very lucky that I got to work with all of them. Everybody gets along so well, it was like a family and great fun.
Any one memorable or unusual incident from the shooting of the film?
They are all too embarrassing to tell! But the film has been memorable. I think that’s Shaad’s forte to make every scene memorable. He doesn’t believe in any particular graph, but he just wants everything to be perfect and works really hard on the sets to make every moment perfect, so it’s very hard to select one.