/> Away in the jungles of Kerala shooting, Abhishek Bachchan re-connects with the world just long enough for this interview.

Last week you gave everyone a scare by falling ill?
Unfortunately falling ill is a part of life. I was shooting in the rain and I got a viral fever. That's it. Now I'm back on my feet working hard.

Now that your Dostana is being released don't you feel left out of the excitement?
I wouldn't say left out. But yes I do feel a bit disconnected because I'm shooting for Mani Ratnam's film in the jungles of Kerala, two hours' drive from Kochi where there's no network, internet, not even mobile reception. It's very tough to connect with the world.

Is that a blessing or a curse?
Both. A blessing, because there're no distractions and one can get completely into the world of the film.Once we wrap up all of us head for the gym and then sit on the scenes for the next day. On the deficit side I don't get to connect with my loved ones. God forbid, if there's another medical emergency.

Is it necessary to shoot in such disconnected places?
This was the location chosen by the director, and I'm not someone who questions the director's judgement. I'll go by anything and anywhere that works for the film.

You must have been extremely disturbed by your dad's illness?
Of course. Isn't that obvious? I think any parent's illness is extremely disturbing to any child. I'm not an exception. We hope our parents will never fall ill. But they do. I love my father immensely. I dealt with his illness as best as I could. And I hope I'm half as good a son as he was to his parents.

That's a hard act to follow.
I know. But I don't compare myself as a son to my father. I just try to follow in his footsteps. Calling it a hard act is very cynical. I look at his track record as a son as very inspiring.

Have you regained your equilibrium?
Well, for an actor no matter what the situation is in his life the show must go on. I've resumed work. I'm very thankful to all my producers for bearing with me when I had to be my with my father. But now I'm back to work. The audiences isn't interested in an actor's frame of mind. They're interested in the frame of the camera.

Have the recent happenings in your life enriched you as an actor?
Every experience enriches an actor.

How do you feel about the very unusual space that you're occupying in Dostana?
Why do you call it unusual?

We've never had a comedy where the two heroes masquerade as gay characters, though we did have Rishi Kapoor and Paintal in drag throughout Raffoo Chakkar many decades ago.
There you have it. Actors are required to do many things, not all close to their personality or orientation. I wouldn't call Dostana unusual. I'd call it unique. It's a very funy film. I haven't done a comedy in a long while.

The last one was Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom. But Dostana is a full-on comedy.So a first for me.I've known Tarun Mansukhani for more than 15 years. In fact he started his career in my mother's company for a television series called Dekh Bhai Dekh.

I heard the concept of Dostana even before I did Karan's Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna. Tarun told me about Dostana during KANK. I was on board from back then.

You are always working with people you're comfortable with?
It's about the subject, not the people. If someone else had offered me Dostana I'd have been equally enthused.

Are you as friendly with your Dostana co-stars John and Priyanka offscreen as you're on screen?
More off than on screen. In the film John and I are rivals. Off screen John has been a dear –dear friend from the time we did Dhoom together. That was our first hit. So there was a bit of an emotional connect there. We've remained friends since then. We truly had blast shooting Dostana.

How do you think the gay community will react to Dostana?
I don't think there's anything objectionable on homosexuality in Dostana. The film is a love triangle. John and I tell Priyanka we're a couple in order to become tenants in her house.

We aren't trying to make fun of anybody. We aren't making a comment on any community. It's just a funny film. I don't think anyone needs to be offended. It's not about homosexuality. It's not a Brokeback Mountain.

Would you do a Brokeback Mountain?
Yes, why not? It'd depend entirely on the script.

Do you enjoying working with Aishwarya?
More than that I enjoy watching her work on screen. It doesn't necessarily have to be with me. I thought she was brilliant on Jodhaa-Akbar. It was one of her best performances. I look forward to her next film.

Would you be going with her for the premiere of Pink Panther?
I don't know whether there is a premiere. If there is, we'll go. I believe it's releasing in February.