So what gives? "Nothing!" says Abhishek from London where he's shooting for Shaad Ali's Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom. "Producer Vinod Chopra called and asked me if I'd do a small cameo. And I said yes. It's as simple as that."
The fact that Vinod Chopra and Abhishek's father are working together in Eklavya also weighed in favour of Abhishek's guest appearance.
"I wouldn't call it a guest appearance. There are no guests in a film. Either you're part of a film, or you're not. Whether it was the small but significant part of Rani's husband in Hum Tum or the wacky doctor in Salaam Namaste or Diya Mirza's husband in Lage Raho Munnabhai, I play a character in the films. I don't believe in the concept of guest appearances."
Some years ago Abhishek had done a walk-on appearance in Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham which was finally cut on editing table. "I had to wait for KANK to get a role in Karan's cinema." Smiles Abhishek who's in London for most of this month for Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom which teams him Preity Zinta, Lara Dutta and Bobby Deol, the last mentioned for the first time.
"As kids Bobby and I attended so many birthday parties together. It's good to be working with him at last," says Abhishek emotionally.