Big B is on fire recently.. He needs to cool down a bit.. Here he speaks on Abhishek, Sanjay Gadvi, Hrithik Roshan and Shahrukh Khan
Abhishek?s performance in ?Guru? is getting rave reviews. Were you this adventurous?
Abhishek?s performance is no mean achievement.
Accolades pour in everyday from the black marketer outside Gaiety to the press in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto. I am over the moon. Playing diverse and at times, diametrically opposite characters, within a short span of time and so early in his career proves two things.
One, that his directors and producers have the faith and confidence in him to pull off such a difficult feat, and two, that he has the capacity to deliver, when tested, not just creatively, but commercially as well.
The success of ?Guru? and ?Dhoom? prove that. The coming months will see him in a complete departure from what he has just done. And let me for once be immodest and predict that ?Jhoom Barabar Jhoom?, ?Sarkar 2? and ?Drona? will be hugely successful films. I was never this adventurous. Had I been, I doubt if I would?ve been able to carry it off with such conviction and aplomb. I never got the opportunities and maybe I was never so brave.
Have you zeroed in on a date for the Abhishek-Aishwarya marriage? Where is the wedding likely to take place?
We are just about to sit down even as I respond to you to discuss just that. And as soon as there is consensus on what it might be, we shall inform you. Dates and locations being bandied about are a lot of rubbish.
Critics say your brand value is diminishing. Comment?
The brand endorsements continue and have never been so good, contrary to certain media analysts who recently headlined that ?The King Is Dead, Long Live The King? – a rather prolonged thesis on my diminishing and expired brand value and the rising value of my colleague and dear friend Shah Rukh Khan. Firstly, the King is not dead…
The prayers and good wishes of the people of this country keep ensuring that time and again.
All my clients have renewed their contracts and if I might add, at enhanced rates for a substantial period of time. Fresh and new products are in negotiation and soon we should be announcing their presence in my life.
Is it tough to juggle films with advertisements?
It isn?t difficult to find time for films and endorsements. A very proficient schedule manager in our organisation ensures that. Family and social events are a pleasure to be associated with and they find their own time.
But what are really satisfying are the campaigns highlighting social and national causes. Polio and India Poised are a pleasure as have been the campaigns for Uttar Pradesh, me being the brand ambassador for the state.
These are done, obviously, without any monetary considerations, and fill me with a sense of great pride and fulfillment.
Let me also say, nothing and nobody lasts forever, not Shah Rukh Khan, not me. It?s how long you last and what you achieve within that time that matters.
Should Abhishek have declined ?Dhoom 2? considering Hrithik Roshan had an author-backed role in the film?
No, it was not a mistake. I have huge respect for him and his decision. Knowing fully well that his was a minuscule role he went ahead for the sake of his relationship with Aditya Chopra. Also without him there is no story in the film. For all practical purposes, he is the hero of the film. The film will go down in his record of successes as well. At the end of the day that?s all that matters.
Those who were with him in this project?Adi, Hrithik and Uday (Chopra) are all aware of the sacrifice that he made and have expressed that to him too. This speaks volumes for the camaraderie that exists in the ?Dhoom? team. Abhishek has contributed in no uncertain terms in keeping brand ?Dhoom? alive and successful. I admire him for that.
Apparently, director Sanjay Gadhvi has commented on Hrithik making a larger impact in ?Dhoom 2?. Strangely, soon after its release Sanjay proclaimed in rather bold headlines that Abhishek is finished and beaten. I think very lowly of a director when he derides an artiste in his own film. Why take them to work for you if you consider them substandard? Why deliberately prop and showcase the villain and then scream that the other character has lost out?
Somewhere your ethics are misplaced and wrong. When people talk of ?Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham?, they mention the song ?Shava shava? and not Hrithik Roshan. But Karan Johar has never derided Hrithik?s contribution to the film. Or more recently when ?Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna? is talked about, what comes up is Sexy Sam (me!) or the character played by Abhishek. But have you ever heard anyone say any less of Shah Rukh (Khan), Priety (Zinta) and Rani (Mukherjee)?
?Guru? coming in the wake of ?Dhoom 2? has proved to all and sundry that given a role and an opportunity, Abhishek can deliver. He has silenced all his detractors and critics in one stroke. It?s a slap on the faces of those who thought unkindly of him. Large volumes of humble pie need to be devoured by them.
Which of your many films can we look forward to?
Yes, the assignments remain dense, which is good.
They make me feel wanted though I haven?t the foggiest idea why! Films due this year are ?Eklavya?, ?Nishabd?, ?Cheeni Kum?, ?Sarkar 2?, Ram Gopal Varma?s ?Sholay?, ?Bhootnath? and ?Johnny Walker?. Also, Rohan Sippy, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rituparno Ghosh want to start films with me as do a fresh lot of youngsters, brimming with unique ideas.
Say, you got a nice article post. Keep writing.