2010 was not a great year for Abhishek Bachchan in terms of box office success but he is not ready to let that upset his plans. The actor who turned 35 recently is excited and says that he is looking forward to 2011 with renewed energy. “Yes, I was working on my birthday which is a tradition. This time I was in New Zealand and Aishwarya was with me which was the greatest birthday gift she could ever give. Directors Abbas-Mustan hosted a small dinner party, that was all.”

Abhishek has had his share of ups and downs in his decade-long career but he says that hit or flop, he has had a great time working in all his movies. “There have been a lot of curves in my career. I can’t determine whether they were my hits or not but my aim is always to enjoy the process of filmmaking and take home great memories. Life has been a lot of fun till now. Refugee was my first film and when I look back at my last film, I realise that I have learnt and improved a lot as an actor which is important. Learning is a process which will continue till the end of my career. Life has not changed but I have changed with time as an actor and as long as I am passionate about what I am doing nothing else matters,” he says.
Being Amitabh Bachchan’s son has not been easy for the junior Bachchan but it seems that he is finally out of his father’s shadow with producers queuing up to his door. Abhishek, however, is very humble about it. “I don’t think that will ever happen. I can’t run away from the fact that I am my father’s son and that my surname is Bachchan. I am proud of it. Honestly, if you look at my career you will know that I was a struggler for two years when I started my career. No one signed me because I was my father’s son until director JP Dutta saw promise in me. I need to keep working and keep improving and I mean this with complete humility,” he adds.
Abhishek at present is all caught up with his upcoming films Players, Game and Dum Maaro Dum. “I am excited and it feels good. It’s reassuring. The films have all turned out well and I am getting to do a lot of variety at work.” Game, he explains, is a murder mystery, a whodunit film. “It is about four people who are invited to an island and are four suspects. I am one of them. In Dum Maaro Dum I am playing a police officer who is given the task of cleaning up Goa. It’s a fictional story and I have no heroine opposite me. In Players I have Sonam and Bipasha Basu opposite me. Besides these films I have Ram Gopal Varma’s Departed, Rajkumar Santoshi’s Ladies and Gentleman and Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan,” he says.
Dum Maro Dum is Abhishek’s third film with buddy Rohan Sippy. It is said that Rohan has always brought out the best in the actor. “I don’t know,” says Abhishek, adding, “It’s for the audience to tell. Yes, I am very comfortable working with him and I like the kind of films he makes,” he explains. Whilst on the topic of Dum Maaro Dum, is it true that his mischievous streak miffed Bipasha Basu. But the actor feigns ignorance and says, “Yes, I read the news along with Bipasha and we had a good laugh over it.”
Abhishek takes his successes and failures in the same light vein. “Nobody likes to deal with failure nor does anyone like to experience it. I have put my life into making a film and I am responsible when it doesn’t do well. It would be cowardice on my part if I walk away from taking the blame. I stand by it and always will,” he concludes.