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 Do
you bluff at all in the film?
No, infact I don’t. I’m the only character who is as
straight as he can be. I play a doctor who gets
bluffed by the con man, Roy (Abhishek) but he’s
grateful to Roy for saving his money and tells him
to come to him anytime he’s in trouble. ‘Zukham se
leke Aids thak I’ll cure of you anything.’ And one
day Roy does need the doc’s help. The doctor is
Roy’s moral shoulder and guides him like a father.
Sounds serious. Is there going to be a laugh
track with your role?
A laugh track is a conscious effort to provide comic
relief. I am of the belief that sometimes the most
serious segments can get you laughter because of the
quirks in the character. Many scenes in Munnabhai
MBBS, for example, are serious scenes. He’s angry
and you laugh, I don’t think he was trying to make
you laugh. The moment you try to make people laugh
it’s not funny. In Bluff Master, the doc is the
conman’s conscience, but at the same time he has his
little mannerisms. If you find that funny, then
good!
You have worked with Amitabh Bachchan in ‘Waqt’
and now you are working with Abhishek Bachchan. What
has been your personal observation of the father-son
duo?
They are so similar and yet so different. Abhishek
is his own man, has his own personality, and yet
there so much of Mr. Bachchan in him. He’s extremely
well mannered, a real gentleman, and I have never
seen him give an autograph in a standoffish or
brusque manner. He always respects people that
approach him. I find he is a very well brought
child…though I don’t know why I am calling him a
child; he’s a big man! (Smiles). Abhishek is so much
fun, focussed, and he thoroughly enjoys himself.
Working with Mr. Bachchan is like working with an
institution. Now what can I say? In Waqt we were
going for each other’s neck and now we are once
again together in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Eklavya.
How would you describe Bluff Master?
Bluff Master is a charming film. It’s got Abhishek
who I am fond of. Riteish is also sweet and playing
a charming character. During the script reading,
when I was told that Riteish is doing the part, I
said to myself, ‘Ya of course, Ritesh… nobody else
suits it better.’ Priyanka, who again I am fond of
(and worked with in Waqt), is so gentle and well
behaved, sweet and kind… Honestly, this is a breed
that is so focused in what they do, including the
director Rohan Sippy. He knows what he wants and at
the same time enjoys what he’s doing. I am proud to
be a part of Bluff Master even though my role is
that not that big, but it’s a key role and has
remained so even after the first draft of the script
was shown to me a year and a half ago.
You were a photographer before taking on acting
full time. Do you still pursue photography?
Photography was a hobby. But when I took it on as a
career I took on another hobby and that is theatre.
When theatre took precedence over photography, I
took photography back as my hobby. I cannot do
without photography - it’s an important part of my
growth as an actor. It made me understand lighting,
lensing, and the movements of the camera. When you
understand lens you understand to perform to the
magnification of the lens. If it’s a wide lens I’m
going to shake my head that much more, if it’s a
tele lens I’m going to shake my head that much less.
Cinema acting is far more technical than theatre
acting; it’s as we know a director’s medium and
theatre an actor’s medium. But I love my photography
and I carry my camera wherever I go. I couldn’t have
asked for more – doing both my hobbies and being
paid for at least one of them.
Any message for your fans abroad?
India and its films are now a global presence. The
craze for Indian films around the world is
exhilarating and all this has been due the audiences
abroad. This is a far cry from my days as a
youngster when watching Hindi films was not
considered to be ‘hep’. Today watching Hindi films
is cool. We don’t need an Ingmar Bergman. Our
filmmakers have been doing a good job of making
people laugh and helping them forget their worries
in the two and half hours spent in the theatres. And
if Indian films are cool today it’s all because of
the Indians abroad who encouraged and recognised the
efforts of our filmmakers. God bless you and thank
you for your support. |
