Fanboy comes to town

He may have cast him in his directorial venture but Farhan Akhtar is still in awe of the actor in Amitabh Bachchan

October 31, 2014 05:02 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 07:13 pm IST

New Delhi: Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar at the launch of Coca Cola Zero in New Delhi on Friday. PTI Photo by Atul  Yadav(PTI9_19_2014_000074A)

New Delhi: Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar at the launch of Coca Cola Zero in New Delhi on Friday. PTI Photo by Atul Yadav(PTI9_19_2014_000074A)

Since a teenager he has been hooked to Amitabh Bachchan’s craft and charisma, even making the versatile actor play an army man in his second directorial venture Lakshya . And now director-turned-actor Farhan Akhtar is acting opposite Big B in Bejoy Nambiar’s much talked about film Wazir . The senior actor’s remarkable professionalism and unbelievable dedication has left him awestruck. The way Farhan sing hosannas about the superstar make him sound more like an eager fan than a professional film director.

“I have admired Amitabh Bachchan all my life. He is truly special and his iconic characters down the years have gone into my sub conscious. What I really admire about him is that despite close to 50 years in this profession he continues to work with the same enthusiasm. He continues to have the same positive attitude and enthusiasm towards his job when probably he started his career. If I am still in the film industry for the same number of years then I would like to have the same enthusiasm as Mr. Bachchan,” says Farhan, playing an ATS cop.

Direction has taken a backseat and Farhan, whose Dil Chahta Hai was a big hit, but he doesn’t mind being circumscribed with the limitation of an actor. “If the roles excite the actor in me then certainly I go ahead.”

Working with elder sister Zoya Akhtar, under whose directorial vision he put on the greasepaint in Luck by Chance and then Zindagi Na Mile Dobara , gives him a certain comfort level.

“With Zoya I am in a comfort zone. This comes naturally as we have always been close as siblings. Zoya has a style of writing and creating scenes. I truly enjoy the way she culls out characters and portrays them on the screen,” says Farhan.

Creative differences crop up now and then but they “don’t fight over them”.

“There are certain nuances, questions marks which need clarification. I have to be clear what she wants to portray. But this happens in all films; you don’t see actors arriving on the sets and just doing their job. Discussing their characters before enacting their roles is always there.”

Prod him to shed light on his character in Dil Dharakne Do , Farhan says in a good humoured way that his sister has put a “gag order”. “This is our third film together and the shooting is complete,” is all he says.

Sporting a trendy copper orange shirt, Farhan was in the Capital as brand ambassador of Dulux. But what about the colours in his life? “Rangeela colour pasand hai. As far as how rangeela my life is you know what I do everyday.” On a serious note, the actor says: “My first road trip to meeting my wife to having my children and making my first film.” His 14 years of marriage have been “as great as it was when it started. You learn more and the amazing thing about long relationship is to know so much about your partner.”

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