He’s tall and he’s handsome, but it’s the bits in the ‘dark’ that Abhishek Bachchan talks to TOI about...

I feel blessed to work with Mani Ratnam’
He is working on a slew of projects, and AB insists that everything is important when one signs a film, “The director, the story, the script – everything has to fall in place.” But when it comes to his upcoming release, there’s just one statement, “You feel blessed to work in a Mani Ratnam film.” This becomes apparent when AB says that he’d do anything that Mani says. He adds, “When you have love and respect for someone like Mani, you would do whatever he says.”

The decision to obey Mani unquestioningly comes after Abhishek has done three films – Yuva, Guru and Raavan – with the director. He says, “Mani knows my strengths and weaknesses much better than I do. During Yuva, he told me that you are very proper and he wanted me to learn a lot of abuses. During those six-seven months, I did just that.”

‘I expect a lot because I give a lot...’
The love of the craft drives Abhishek relentlessly. And that results in expectations. Says AB, “I always expect a lot from my films. That’s because when you give that much, you expect a lot. I’ve never been in a situation where I can switch off and say, ‘Oh I don’t expect’. I always expect the best from my films because I give it my best. Good or not we get to know when the audience sees the film.”

‘It’s not Ramayan, it’s the Raavayan’
In his current flick, Abhishek portrays a dark character, which many consider inspired from Ramayan’s Ravan. But, AB says, “It’s not Ramayan, it’s the Raavayan.” Also, talking about his experience of working on the project with such a large cast, he says, “One would be doing the insanest of things in the harshest of circumstances, but everyone was supportive.” Talking of his role, Abhishek says, “Beera is the most challenging character and role I’ve ever done. I’d said the same about Guru and the same about Yuva. Mani has given me the most defining works of my life.”

‘Why do I need to prove everyday to myself that she’s my wife’
There have been incessant questions on whether he felt insecure about Aishwarya playing someone else’s wife in the flick. But, Abhishek is quick to say, “Why do I need to prove everyday to myself that she’s my wife? We are just portraying characters in a flick, like any two actors. That we got married before Sarkar Raj never pus-hed Ramu to change the script.”

‘Ash didn’t get her due in Guru’
While he found his role “demanding”, Abhishek also thinks that Raavan’s Ragini is Aishwarya’s best performance to date. He says, “Ragini is her best performance to date. I’d earlier said that about Guru, but she didn’t get her due in Guru.”

- Timesofindia.com