Popular Russian actor to make B-Town debut in Players, comes down to Goa just to get to know co-star Abhishek Bachchan

The romance between Indian and Russian cultures continues several years after Raj Kapoor (remember Mera Naam Joker?).

Popular Russian actor Vyacheslav Razbegaev will play a pivotal role in Abbas-Mustan's Players. Producers, TV 18, are flying him down to Goa, where the film is being shot, so he can bond with Abhishek Bachchan.

Getting along

Says a source from TV 18, "Razbegaev arrives tomorrow and will be here in Goa for three days. He is one of Russia's highest paid actors.

In fact, directors Abbas-Mustan find him as hot as George Clooney. His role is a significant one and he will have several scenes with Bachchan Jr."

"So, Vyacheslav expressed a desire to get familiar with and bond with Abhishek and the rest of the cast and crew. Though he starts shooting for Players in Russia only in February next year, he wanted to come to Goa to come to grips with shooting in an Indian scenario."

Interestingly, when Abbas-Mustan met the actor in Russia he told them that the only two actors he knew of in India were Raj Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan. Razbegaev wanted to meet Amitabh's son.

Director Abbas Burmawala confirms, "Vyacheslav plays a Russian general in our film. When we went to St Petersburg in Russia for a recce, we found that he is a very popular actor there.

He was keen to learn Hindi but we told him he could speak in Russian and Hindi. He knows the words shukriya and namaste."