Bhansali full of praise for Abhishek’s acting

Raavan may have crashed at the box office and while critics feel that the film failed due to Abhishek Bachchan’s unconvincing performance, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is all praises for the actor. According to sources, Bhansali has never worked with Abhishek but has worked with Aishwarya in two films, and with Amitabh Bachchan in Black. In fact, Bhansali’s next film, Guzarish, has Ash in the lead role.

However, Bhansali liked Abhishek’s performance more than Aishwarya’s in Raavan. He even called Abhishek after he saw the film and applauded his performance. Abhishek, of course, was on cloud nine after getting such a call from Bhansali, especially since he was disappointed with the film’s lacklustre opening.

Aishwarya gets down and dirty

In real life or on the Cannes red carpet, Aishwarya Rai never puts in an appearance unless she looks perfectly groomed with not a single hair out of place. But in Raavan, her character is dishevelled for major stretches of the film.

Ash reveals, “Everyday, it was a 5 o’clock wake up call. You take a shower, freshen up and then you get dirty; you put mud on your self, you rip your clothes, get drenched. It was like we were going hiking,” she quips.

Sporting the muddied look, she had to shoot for two versions, Hindi and Tamil, simultaneously. “After shooting both versions, if Mani found something more appealing in one version, we would go back to do the same in the other version too. Every take was unforgettable. Mani had put us in such a state that all our faculties as actors and as persons were on high alert,” she adds.

Raavan to release at Iifa Seoul

There’s something about the Iifa. The event seems to hold definite charm for Mani Ratnam, whose big budget extravaganza Raavan may premier at this year’s edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards — to be held at Seoul in South Korea.
Of course, this isn’t the erstwhile director’s first brush with the Iifa. Yuva, also starring Abhishek Bachchan, had also premiered at Iifa. The Bachchans have a long connection with the Iifa, as Amitabh Bachchan is the brand ambassador of the event. The move may definitely do some good for Raavan, as the Iifa is a popular event and will provide the film with some much desired international exposure and acclaim.
Slated for a July 18 release, Raavan also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachahan, Govinda and South star Vikram.