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  "When you are dancing with 50 mad-looking French dancers and singing "Ticket to Hollywood" in vulgar movements, you need to have a lot of confidence in your director" - Abhishek Bachchan Click here to add this article to My Clips
 
  What's in a name? That is exactly the question to describe Indian Film Industry's most talked about actor, Abhishek Bachchan. Call him AB's baby or Aishwarya's hubby, the man has built his own identity with film's like Yuva, Bunty Aur Babli and Guru, and with the career looking all bright and busy this summer, Abhishek is all set to Jhoom in his first big release on June 15. Are you ready too? IndiaFM talks to Jr.Bachchan.

What do you think of the music of Jhoom Barabar 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 to 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 Gulzar sahib, 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 is a perfect representation of what the film is about. It captures the madness the splendor, the attitude, the romance and just magnifies it a hundred folds. It's flawless.

Which is your favourite track in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom?
It being an album that is so good, it's very tough to choose. I love the song picturised on Preity and me -Bolna Halke Halke which is a romantic track. I think it's a wonderful song. It is also one of the few songs that have lower and slower tempo in the film while the others are highly energetic. So it's a welcome change. I also like the song because it is a melodious track which is beautifully sung, written and wonderfully picturised. Also obviously I am partial to the title track -Jhoom Barabar Jhoom just for its sheer energy and splendor.

How was it like working with Shankar Ehsaan Loy?
It never ceases to amaze me how they manage to come up with such great and diverse music every time. What is wonderful is how they work as a team. Individually they are great musicians -Shankar is a wonderful singer, Loy is a great pianist and Ehsaan plays guitar wonderfully and they play many other instruments as well. The synergy that they share is commendable. They come up with such tunes and tracks so normally. And the greatest thing is that whenever they work with Shaad I feel there is a middle path between the two- Shaad and them. They have a very serious, distinctive quality and sound to their music. The trio seems to forget this fact whenever they are working with Shaad and they create a new sound all together. Personally I think it's great to reinvent one self time and again. One really can't say enough of them. They are just fantastic and I am just very happy that they agreed to do the film and have come up with such a great soundtrack because it makes our job as actors so much easier.

The look of JBJ has been highly appreciated.
I would prefer not to call it 'the look of the film' but the attitude of the film. 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 Barabar 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 about how mad and flamboyant he actually is and the genius that he is. And I think he truly has allowed everybody to look into his soul in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. It's Shaad Ali Sehgal all the way. It's totally 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 so it was wonderful to reunite with most of his team this time around. Aki as a designer is very colorful, he loves style and he loves to make things look larger than life. And this time he got a film in which he could really freak out and thus he's done a wonderful job. 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 unique, very special and something which aided the performance of the actors a lot. So when you wear the right clothes with the right accessories, hair and make up, it helps you become the character completely. I always believe that looking the part is fifty percent of the job and in JBJ it is possible mainly because of Aki Narula. I really think JBJ has the finest costumes designed in Hindi film till date.

On the streets of London, people actually used to look at us actors and really wonder why we wearing such clothes and we used to become conscious at times.
Which is your favourite outfit from the film?
I like all of them. All the clothes for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom were wonderful. It allowed me as a human being and as an actor to do things and wear things that I would have never dreamt of in my life. I don't think I would ever don the kind of clothes Aki has come up with in this film but they suited the character. Rikki Thukral was that kind of character and such costumes suited him brilliantly and it was just a pleasure to get into somebody else's skin and be so loud and get away with it. The wonderful thing about the costumes is that whenever we used to shoot on the streets of London, people actually used to look at us actors and really wonder why we 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. Though we were very conscious while shooting, I think once you see the film the costumes don't seem to jump out on you. Because of the fitting world created by Shaad, Bose-our cinematographer and Aki, you don't pay attention to the costume. It takes you to a different world of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and I think every technician working on the film helps and manages the audience to transport themselves into a different world-the world of the movie.

What was it about the script that made you decide to do the film?
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was a story that Yash Raj had told me while we were shooting for Bunty aur Babli. It was then called Sangam Mein. It kept evolving from Delhi station to King's Cross Station. It grew in stature, style and scale; so it's something that I can very luckily say that I was blessed to see it from when it was a germ of an idea. So it happened over a period of time. I knew of the script and the idea right from the inception stage and this helped me a lot because it helped me to get acquainted with the script and the character. So it was a lot of fun for me to see it grow and finally become a great film that's to come.

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was a story that Yash Raj had told me while we were shooting for Bunty aur Babli. It was then called Sangam Mien
How have you grown as an actor from Bunty aur Babli to Jhoom Barabar Jhoom?
I think the main aspect is confidence. When I started with 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 and the level of performance which is something Shaad really likes. Shaad is a believer that anybody can do that to carry off a character which is very high octane and to carry it off with ease is very tough. I thought Bunty was one such character that was 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 extract good performance from me.

So when Jhoom Barabar Jhoom came along there wasn't any apprehension towards the film or the character though it was ten notches above Bunty aur Babli in attitude, pitch. We were more bullish about this film and we said yes lets do it. We tried to be very confident and attack with it head on. So it was a matter of confidence. One criticism about Bunty aur Babli was that it was two separate films being made. They felt Bunty aur Babli should not have been a serious love story at the end of the film. And that it should not have had the gravity it has in the last half an hour. They wanted to see the madness of Bunti aur Babli. I feel us as the makers of Bunty aur Babli, the actors and the team felt that we have to give it some sort of gravity to justify the characters and make them more human. We can't make a film which is just a laugh riot and showing two kids doing crazy things. I think that was the problem in our confidence. We were trying to play a bit safe. I think we throw emotions into the wind in Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and its gone all the way. It's a thoroughly entertaining film, it's very funny. It's what Adi 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 to do it.

What do you have to say about Shaad and Abhishek sharing a bond and give their best together even though it's just their second film?
I think it's the comfort. Shaad has the comfort of knowing that he can be himself in front of me and he won't be judged, that I love him for the person that he is and I have the same feeling towards him. I can be completely myself and have no inhibitions in front of him and that's largely because of the kind of person he is. He's a very open minded person and I think that's very exciting for an actor. Most importantly, he loves his artists, nothing is more important than them and he is very protective about them. He literally treats them like children. When Rani and I were doing Bunty aur Babli, we were treated like children on the sets. He really mollycoddles you and really cares for you and that comes through. Although this is my second film with Shaad as a director, I have done four films in which he helped me with humour. He is one of the primary reasons I can do humour; we did Bunty aur Babli, he worked with me for Guru and now Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. He's a great friend. I think when there is chemistry between the director and his actor, it always comes through. The camera is too short and it catches everything and I think that's one of Shaad's greatest assets that he makes actors very comfortable. It's because he demand's a lot. When you see Jhoom Barabar Jhoom its very unrealistic in terms of what is required of an actor to do for him. It can scare you. When you are standing outside the Louvre-one of the great institutions of art in Paris of which we have all learnt about in school and you are dancing with fifty French dancers who are rather ostentatious and mad-looking and so are you in this very messed up look singing “Ticket to Hollywood” in vulgar movements, you need to have a lot of confidence in your director. More importantly the director has to have a lot of confidence in you and he has to help you forget that there is a world around you and keep you in the world of the film. Shaad always manages to do that and that is exactly what tells you about the kind of person he is.

When you are dancing with fifty French dancers who are rather ostentatious and mad-looking, and you in this messed up look are singing “Ticket to Hollywood” in vulgar movements, you need to have a lot of confidence in your director.
There is a lot of dancing happening in the film? What was it like working with Vaibhavi Merchant?
First of all I have to say whatever performances I have done in songs throughout my career and even today, majority of the credit goes to Chinku whether she has choreographed the song or not. .She is one choreographer who has really helped, pushed and taught me to throw quotient to the wind and just be. She was the first choreographer who ever told me that it's not how well you dance if you are not a good dancer, it's how well you enjoy the song and she pushes you to do that. She never stresses on a particular step. She is more concerned about your expression so whatever little bit of a dancer I am today is largely due to Vaibhavi. She's a dear friend and according to me is one of the best choreographers we have on the scene today. Hand's down! She is brilliant and I love her as a choreographer. If you see Jhoom Barabar Jhoom you will understand it. She is the one who has picturised a Jhoom Barabar Jhoom song and Bolna Halke Halke at the same time and has done it effortlessly. She is wonderful and I love her because she is always pushing and firing me to work harder and I enjoy that. I guess that is why I am more relaxed in front of her. She is also complaining that I don't rehearse which is actually true because I somewhere have this complacent attitude that she is there and she will not accept it till I get it right. But then again I also know that she is going to give me steps which she knows I can do. A lot of times you find choreographers who compose a step because that's the way they see it and they don't look from the point of view of a character or an actor doing it. Vaibhavi has this unique ability of understanding the character, knowing how the character should be dancing and singing and knowing the limitations of the actor. Like I have a lot of limitations when I dance and she is aware of that and she will choreograph steps keeping in mind the character and what I can do. So when she shows me a rehearsal I never question because I know that these are the steps that she will get out of me and I will not look stupid doing that. I really think she is an ideal person for this film and I am so happy that she's worked on the film and I don't want to say what work she has done. You will see the film and understand it for yourself.

How does it feel to be working with a family member?
When you are in front of the camera you are an actor and you have to forget your personal relationships. If you think about your personal relationships, they are going to hamper your performances. For example you are standing in front of the camera with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and if you think 'oh my god that's my father in front of me', you are definitely going to get intimidated. So you have to try and be professional even though it's tough.

How was it like working with Bobby with whom you are working for the first time?
I have always wanted to work with Bobby ever since I started work. I have known him since I was a kid and finally we got an opportunity to work together. I am so happy because I really think this is the right movie and I am glad we never got the opportunity to work together before this and that this is are first movie together. He's just wonderful. He is one of the sweetest co-stars one can ask for. He is thoroughly professional, always ready to help out. He was all that I had thought him to be and much more on the sets and as an actor. I just feel so privileged to be a part of the film in which he is there as well and we get to share screen space.

If you are standing in front of the camera with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and if you think 'oh my god that's my father in front of me', you are definitely going to get intimidated
How's the equation with Lara?
This is Lara's second film with me after Mumbai Se Aaya mera Dost. She is very close to me. 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 Barabar Jhoom for Lara was a big step. She's never done anything like this before and I am so happy that she did it. She just blows your mind away on screen. She's superb. You will see Lara in a role which she has never done before and I don't think many people have done it before. She did it so well. It was a very tough role to do and she has done it seamlessly and brilliantly. I am so excited for her. I really feel she is such a talented girl. Shaad and Adi have given her a wonderful role and she hasn't let anybody down. There were times when she would perform and the entire unit would clap for her. She's done a very good job.

What about Preity?
Preity is very natural in her performance. The best thing about Preity is that she looks after her co-stars when they are in front of the camera. She was constantly assuring that my make up's okay and if my hair was out of place, she would correct it and get the shot cut. It's wonderful to work with co-actors who take such good care of you because usually we actors are very selfish. We look at ourselves and are bothered only about our own performances. Preity looks at a film entirely and she has no problems with other actors. Being on the sets with such a huge star cast can be intimidating, but she is so cool about it and so helpful contradictory to the whole bubbly, young teenage kind of a girl image. She is really like a mother. She takes care of everyone, feeds everyone, makes sure everyone has eaten, suggests good restaurants and says things like- 'this is how we should do the shot', 'lets work it out like this' and '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 that comes out of her. She is great fun and I am very happy that she is a part of the film. She adopted what we call the right attitude that Shaad wanted on the sets which I was a bit concerned because I had worked with Shaad in the past. So I was not too sure if the other actors would understand Shaad's style of working and the kind of atmosphere and the environment he likes on the sets. But Preity came right into the deep belt and she just blended in and she was one of the guys. It was great and yet another wonderful performance by her. I am so glad that the whole team came so well together.

Priety is really like a mother. She takes care of everyone, feeds everyone, makes sure everyone has eaten, suggests good restaurants
What is it like working in a multi starcast film as opposed to a solo?
I prefer an ensemble cast any day. I think it's very lonely and boring to be standing alone in front of the camera delivering dialogues. The more, the merrier. I feel very lucky that I get to work with all of them. Everybody gets along so well, it's like a family and great fun.

Five words to describe Jhoom Barabar Jhoom?
You need a lot more than five words to describe Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. You can't describe Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, it's just everything. I have never come across a film like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. One cannot classify or label Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. It is simply outstanding.

 
 




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