If Abhishek Bachchan feels there’s a paradox in the Bachchans playing characters loosely based on the Thackeray family at this point of time, when an offshoot of the philosophy the Thackerays espoused has been targeting them, he doesn’t show it.

“But there’s no real resemblance to the Thackeray family in Sarkar Raj. The endeavour was never really to do a film on the Thackerays, despite the perception. And we were not influenced by the working of the family, nor do we need to empathise with any of the sentiments that the characters in the film display, do we? We are professional actors who are there to portray characters, whatever the ideology or nature of those characters may be.” Does his individual political philosophy clash with the Thackerays’, though? “I don’t have any political philosophy, because I don’t understand politics, truthfully.”

Point. Senior Bachchan, who had once stepped in and then opted out of politics, is currently being talked about as much for their forthcoming movie as for his blogging spree. Did the younger, more tech-savvy generation of the Family Bachchan suggest this to him? “No, the blog is his very own brainchild, completely his idea.” And what does Abhishek think of the recent remarks that Shobhaa De had to make on pa’s blogging? “I am friends with Shobhaa’s children, and I respect and admire her work. Everyone has the right to free speech and to express what they feel, and I honestly feel there’s nothing wrong with that at all.”

Dad’s blog and De’s works apart, what is he reading at the moment? “Scripts! I get very little time to read, actually. And I have been reading just scripts for the last two months.” Ok, and two months back? “Prior to that, I was reading two books that I read and liked – The Reluctant Fundamentalist and The Kite Runner. I really liked both of them, they are beautifully written. It’s just that The Kite Runner is a bit of a morose book, you know, in the sense it’s not a book to read while shooting, it grips you and puts you into a mood that is difficult to come out of when it’s time for your next shot...”

The last movie Abhishek watched was, what else, Sarkar Raj. He saw it just a couple of days back, all by himself. And why’s that? “I like to see most of my movies by myself first, I guess because I am nervous about how it will turn out and would rather have that first impression myself before observing how others react to it. And I loved it.”

Where does he stand on the IPL fever quotient? “I have been out of the country for a long time, so really haven’t been clued in completely. But since Sachin’s always been my favourite – though I know my friends Shah Rukh and Preity will take me to task for this – my favourite team will have to be Sachin’s team, the Mumbai Indians.”

Talking of SRK and issues linked to him in the news, how did Abhishek like the last cinematic ventures of King Khan and his blog baiter, Aamir? “I liked both TZP and OSO immensely. TZP was a wonderful, sensitively handled film. OSO was an unattached, complete entertainer. Their goals were completely different. But they both did so well, which shows that the audience has matured and is capable of accepting various forms of good cinema.”

How fond is the owner of several top end sets of wheels of driving? “I really, really love it, I drive as often as I can.” And does he mind the loss of anonymity when people recognise him at a red light and flock to take autographs? “Honestly, the day they stop doing this, that is the day when I think you should take a long, serious look at where you are heading as an actor. It is always good to put a smile on the face of someone who’s come to you as a fan.”