Abhishek is not media shy

The word media seems to have become Abhishek Bachchan’s ‘favourite’ word as Shubha Shetty-Saha discovers during this interview

You must have pinned a lot on Dostana...
The story is different and novel. I have not done comedy for a long time. It’s special as Tarun (Mansukhani), who is a childhood friend, has directed it.

There is this gay angle to the film...
Not at all. This whole gay angle is being blown out of proportion, because the media had already decided what the film is about before even watching it…(huh?)

Would you play a gay character in a film?
Why not? If the script is good, and the director is sensible enough who would sensitively essay the character, I would do it. At the end of the day, we are actors and we would like to do roles which pose a challenge for us. I would do it any time.

Gay characters are more or less a taboo subject till now in Hindi movies…
(Flaring up) That’s not true. The media thinks it’s taboo. It’s very unfair to blame Hindi movies. The Hindi films never considered homosexuals as a taboo. Indian films have always dealt with daring subjects, for example Kabhi Kabhie which dealt with an illegitimate child. So there you are. (huh?)

Was Drona’s failure difficult to accept?
It was difficult, very difficult. A lot was invested not only financially but emotionally too. It is tough to accept at the end of the day, that you give your best to something and your audience thinks your best is not good enough. It is a tough pill to swallow. Drona was directed by a very dear friend (Goldie Behl) who had invested his entire life for the film. I feel bad for him. But you have to accept it and move on.

Do you think that it was not up to the mark?
If the film is not done well, the movie is bad. It’s as simple as that. I don’t believe it when people say our movie was ahead of its time. If it was so ahead, you should not have made it at that time. I was wrong. I realise that script is the most important thing. It should appeal to you at an emotional level. Rest of all is garnishing…

Is it true that you got Kareena Kapoor replaced in Dostana?
Not true at all. I don’t have the inclination or the power to allow people to do the film or not do the film. It is solely the producers’ decision. As far as I know Aishwarya was supposed to do the role. Karan later decided she shouldn’t do it and then Priyanka came in. Replacing and patching up are juvenile words used by the media. Something I don’t subscribe to. I really don’t understand what the big deal is. Do you really think I have the power to replace people?

You do, if you want to...
I don’t want to. That’s the point. I think Dostana is perfectly cast as it is now.

Do you forgive and forget?
I live and let live. I don’t have problems with anyone. I am pretty cool

SRK and Abhishek Bachchan in Vivek Sharma's Kal Kissney Dekha

Director Vivek 'Banku' Sharma is very busy these days. It is said that busy people are happy people. But he isn't just happy. He is over overjoyed and overworked and is loving every bit of it to the T. The director is shuffling up and down to the Film City where he has put up a giant guitar shaped set with the two talked about debutants, Jacky Bhagnani, son of Vashu Bhagnani, and Vaishali Desai, grand daughter of the late filmmaker Manmohan Desai, who are shaking their leg to the title track of the film which has a special appearance made by none other than...wait a minute! We cannot disclose that to you because Vivek doesn't want us to. Let's respect that.

But what we can reveal are two names, two big names, two of Bollywood's finest stars who are going to make an appearance in Kal Kissney Dekha. That makes it three, isn't it? One of them is a tight lipped secret. Now if we jog our memory to Vivek's debut film Bhoothnath, we know that he roped in the 'King Khan' Shah Rukh for a special appearance. Right? So no prizes for guessing that Shah Rukh is again going to make a cameo appearance in Vivek's Kal Kissney Dekha. The director says, "SRK is making a special appearance in the film and is coming at a very important time in the film's climax. He is a good friend and like a brother to me and for him to agree to be a part of Kal Kissney Dekha is like a blessing".

Abhi & Aish Wedding Picture

Abhishek Bachchan Wedding Aishwarya Rai

Aiswarya Rai accompanied by her husband Abhishek Bachchan, father in law Amitabh Bachchan and mother in law Jaya Bachchan went on Sunday for a darshan of Lord Mallikarjunaswamy and Brahmaramba Devi at Srisailam temple, Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. They Went there by Helicopter. The family prayed when performed an `udrabhisekham' in the temple. After one hour of worship they returned to Hyderabad. They were in Hyderabad for the shooting of their latest movie.

Roman rolls out the red carpet for Abhi-Ash
Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich laid out the red carpet for newlyweds Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan. The couple were Abramovich’s guest of honour in his private box for two recent Chelsea games.
On the way to Tirupati Temple.

21-04-2007 Aishwarya Rai in 'Prateeksha', Expected to travel to Tirupati Temple.

Aishwarya Rai Abhishek Bachchan Wedding Invitations Being Sent

20-04-2007 Aishwarya Rai's wedding will take place today evening according to the Hindu Marriage rituals around 5.30 PM Indian time.more »

19-04-2007 Bombay, India - Actress Aishwarya Rai will tie the knot with actor and rising star Abhishek Bachchan on Friday at the Bachchan's residence in the western Bombay suburb of Juhu
The much-awaited wedding of Bollywood couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai will likely take place on April 20
Aishwarya RaiAbhishek-Aishwarya wedding on April 20
Bollywood's most talked about pair : Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai : will take the plunge into matrimony on April 20 in a " small, intimate affair " without the trappings of film industry weddings.

A date for 'The Wedding of the Year’ has been set but its announcement is being withheld, thanks to the Bachchan family's penchant for secrecy and the hard realities of Bollywood filmmaking.

Bachchan, Aishwarya world tour postponed due to wedding
The eagerly-anticipated 'One Amazing Night'
world - tour featuring Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan with Aishwarya Rai, plus a host of top notch stars, has now been postponed from August-September 2007 to mid 2008. Source From in.movies.yahoo.com

Abhishek, Ash don't have time to set marriage date
'We still haven't got a date. The two of them are so busy, we haven't been able to sit down and work it out,' Amitabh Read

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Abhishek, Aishwarya get engaged

January 14, 2007 23:44 IST


After days of media speculation, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai finally got engaged in Mumbai on Sunday.

The engagement ceremony took place at the Bachchans' residence soon after the couple landed from the premiere of their latest film Guru in Toronto and New York.

The event was attended by family members of the Bachchan and the Rais. Bachchans' close family friend Amar Singh also attended the ceremony.

It is believed that Abhishek proposed Aishwarya after the premiere of Guru in New York. The actress accepted the proposal on the spot.

Speaking to rediff.com, Aishwarya's media manager Harii Singh confirmed the couple's engagement. "The news is confirmed. Abhishek and Aishwarya have got engaged," Singh said.

However, he refused to give any further details. "At this moment, I can only say that the news of engagement is true," he said.

The marriage date has not been confirmed but it is believed that only very close relatives will be called for the most-awaited Bollywood marriage of 2007.

Earlier, it had been reported that the marriage will take place on February 19, 2007. But that has not been confirmed as yet.

As the news of the engagement became public, the who's who of Bollywood started pouring in at Amitabh Bachchan's residence 'Jalsa' in Mumbai to congratulate the couple.

Karan Johar and Kirron Kher were the first to reach Bachchan's home followed by industrialist Anil Ambani and his wife Tina.

Abhishek and Aishwarya, also known as Abhiwarya, first acted together in the movie Kuch Na Kaho in 2003, where they developed close friendship. Little is known on when the friendship developed in love but the first signs surfaced after Aishwarya split with her last boyfriend Viviek Oberoi in November 2005.

One of the main reason for the split was Aishwarya never publicly acknowledged that she was dating Viviek Oberoi whereas he was talking about his affair all over the town.

Abhishek was earlier engaged to Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor. However, the engagement broke off and Karisma married Delhi-based industrialist Sanjay Kapoor in September 2003.

It was in February 2006, when Amitabh Bachchan's brother Ajitabh Bachchan admitted to media that he had gone to Bangalore-based astrologer Chandrashekhar Swamy with the horoscopes of Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan.

The astrologer had admitted that he had checked the horoscopes of the duo and predicted that if 'God willed,' the wedding will happen.

Over the days, the news of Abhiwarya's wedding died down, but the couple was regularly spotted at various events. Neither Aishwarya nor Abhishek ever admitted that they were seeing each other. At the same time, the films that Aishwarya preferred had Abhishek in the lead roles. Umrao Jaan, Dhoom 2 (where she was paired opposite Hrithik) or Guru -- all had Abhishek's presence.

Drona (2008)

Starting

Abhishek Bachchan - Aditya/ Drona - Superhero
Priyanka Chopra - Sonia
Kay Kay Menon - Riz Raizada
Jaya Bachchan - Queen Jayati
Akhilendra Mishra
Director: Goldie Behl
Producer: Shrishti Arya , Iqbal Kidwai , Sunil Lulla
Written by: Goldie Behl , Jaydeep Sarkar


Gentleladies and men. Please make way for our new local superhero – Indiana Drones. Mind you, he doesn’t embark on any trivial mission like the search for the Holy Grail. Drona fights to save nothing less than the entire srishti.

As you must have rightly guessed, director Goldie Behl lets his imagination run amok in Drona . He pieces together a visual spectacle full of mind-numbing special effects and a zillion poses of a sword-wielding Abhishek Bachchan trying hard to stand gracefully against the strong desert winds. And that’s pretty much what ‘Drona’ is all about. Visuals, and visuals, and some more visuals. Story and script may go to hell. Or still better, to the asuras.

‘Drona’


tells a tale of a clan of warriors who have been protecting the supreme secret of the elixir of life – the amrit that was churned out by the gods but has been sought by the asuras (demons) since forever. Drona is the title of the main person who guards the secret.

Now, cut to the present day Prague where Aditya lives a thankless existence until one day he – guided by a hovering rose petal – finds an ancient bracelet in his cupboard and puts it on. Coincidentally, a devious magician Riz Raizada ( Kay Kay Menon ) visits the city for his show and spots Aditya and recognizes him as a potential Drona, the only person who knows (or could know) the secret place where the amrit is hidden.

You see, Riz is the modern asura who wants to be immortal by gulping down the holy amrit. And Drona is the man who possesses its secret.

Before Aditya can figure out why the heck this queer-looking magician is so interested in him (pun unintended), enters Sonia ( Priyanka Chopra ) who kicks a few butts and protects Aditya from the magician’s men. Aditya is then told about his real identity – that he is the next Drona.