Bollywood News

Abhishek Bachchan says he enjoyed every moment of his comic role as a frazzled gynaecologist in "Salaam Namaste" and insists it should not be labelled a guest appearance.

"I had great fun doing the part. It was quite a change from everything I've done so far," says the star.

"I'm not a guest in 'Salaam Namaste'. I don't do guest appearances!.. I don't believe in them... It's almost like you're doing the film a favour when in fact I chose to be in 'Salaam Namaste' because I wanted to be in it. I come in as a surprise," Abhishek told in an interview.

And he is full of praise for Saif Aly Khan's comic timing. "To do comedy with Saif is an immense pleasure. I don't think any contemporary actor gets his comic timing so right. He's a treat on the sets in comedy. The suggestions he made to me were invaluable."

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Your guest appearance at the climax of "Salaam Namaste" brings the house down.
A: Hey. I don't do guest appearances! I wasn't a guest in "Hum Tum". I'm not a guest in "Salaam Namaste". I don't believe in them. It's highly immature. There's something detached about the term. It's almost like you're doing the film a favour when in fact I chose to be in "Salaam Namaste" because I wanted to be in it. I come in as a surprise.

Q: How did you decide to be part of it?
A: I didn't. Aditya Chopra did. He called me up to ask me to be part of "Salaam Namaste". I'd never say no to him in my life... And I had great fun doing the part. It was quite a change from everything I've done so far. It was very high-energy slapstick humour. I had never done that before. I had a ball doing it.

Q: Where did you find the time to squeeze it in?
A: I finished my role in one-and-a-half days. I was working with friends. I had always wanted to work with Saif. I got a slight opportunity to do so in "Hum Tum". But that was just in passing. In "Salaam Namaste" I got to work with him at close quarters.

And to do comedy with Saif is an immense pleasure. I don't think any contemporary actor gets his comic timing so right. He's a treat on the sets in comedy. The suggestions he made to me were invaluable.

Q: I believe there was much improvisation for your sequence?
A: Preity is a close friend, and so is Arshad Warsi. I've known the director Siddharth Anand from the time he was a child. He's the nephew of Mr Tinu Anand who made films like "Kaalia" and "Shahenshah" with my dad. So we practically grew up together. We had a lot of fun doing this. I loved playing the doctor... never done that before. I got to deliver three babies. Has to be some sort of a record.

Q: And now you're doing Karan Johar's film!
A: It's weird. I keep forgetting that I'm on the sets of one of this country's biggest filmmakers. Karan is so much a part of the family sometimes you forget he's a director. When you see him working you realise why he is who he is. He's such a pleasure to work with. The way he handles the cast and crew is exemplary.

Q: You are doing Goldie Behl's film?
A: Yes. And my decision to do his second film isn't an emotional one. He hasn't made a film since "Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai". Goldie was busy consolidating his TV software company. That's why he took a bit of time to start another film. I enjoyed his second script. And I see him as a very, very capable director. I'm looking forward to working with him again.