After scoring with Dostana, Bol Bachchan and Happy New Year, Abhishek Bachchan does comedy again in the forthcoming Housefull 3. He talks about how he finds comedy difficult, how he admires Akshay and the chances of reteaming with Mani Ratnam.
Sajid Farhad claim that your entry in the Housefull 3 is going to be grand.
Is it a grand entry ... I don’t know? I hope people enjoy it; I had fun doing the scene.
You are the new addition in the franchise whereas Akshay and Riteish have done Housefull earlier. Did you feel the pressure?
When I first heard the script, I said yes immediately. When we were prepping to go on the floor, it started dawning on me the kind of expectations that people have (from this franchise). The number of people who have asked me when Houseful 3 is releasing has staggered me. There is a huge audience out there who is dying to see this film, first in line being my nephew who is a rabid fan of the Houseful series.
Why do you think this is happening?
It’s nice, clean-hearted family fun. I loved the premise of the film; it has the making of a total dhamaal film.
You were relatively new when you first worked with Akshay Kumar in Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya (2002). How has he changed?
Akshay is anything but serious; he is the naughtiest one. Sadly, I barely had two to three scenes with him in Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya. I was always looking for an opportunity to work with him so we had a great time in Houseful 3. I have known Akshay for 24 years now. I first met Akshay in 1994 when I had come down for my school holidays to Mumbai.
He was shooting for Angarey, a film produced by my friend Goldie Behl. I was a big Akshay Kumar fan since I loved films like Mohra. It was always fun to chill with Akshay on the sets and he has been very loving and caring. He is a very sensitive person. Even when I was laid up, he’d keep calling me to ask how I was feeling. In fact, he even visited me twice. He took my reports to show it to some doctors, he is very protective
Since you have been doing several comedies, would you also do a sex comedy?
I doubt it. Whether an actor agrees with a genre or not is immaterial, you have to understand the material to be able to do it. I don’t understand that kind of humour so I think I will be very bad at it.
You used to do films regularly with Rohan Sippy and Mani Ratnam. But you haven’t teamed up with them in a long time.
They are my friends, and I am still in touch with them. But you have to find the right film. Dum Maro Dum was my last film with Rohan five years ago; I did a small bit for him in Nautanki Saala because he likes me to be part of all his films. And my mentor Mani (Ratnam) and I discuss films all the time. He maintains,
“We have done great films together, so we have to do something worthwhile.”
They are my friends, and I am still in touch with them. But you have to find the right film. Dum Maro Dum was my last film with Rohan five years ago; I did a small bit for him in Nautanki Saala because he likes me to be part of all his films. And my mentor Mani (Ratnam) and I discuss films all the time. He maintains,
“We have done great films together, so we have to do something worthwhile.”