Abhishek prefers challenging roles in Hollywood

New Delhi, Nov 15 (UNI) He is the son of one of the biggest stars of the Indian film Industry and the husband of an actress who has in recent years become an ''apple in Hollywood's pie''.

Being among such ''celebrated company'' as Superstar of the millennium Amitabh Bachchan and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, one would assume that for Abhishek Bachchan, having conquered hearts of cinegoers in India with his performances in films like 'Guru' and 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', the next stop would be Hollywood only.

Not so for the Bollywood's current heartthrob. Even as wife Aishwarya Rai's career is going great guns in Hollywood, the former Miss World having just been cast in the latest 'Pink Panther' movie, and reports appear of his father about to embark on a couple of Hollywood projects, Abhishek says he has no inclination to go to Hollywood unless, the role offered is really challenging.

''I don't think Indian actors are very interested in going to Hollywood and playing a hot dog vendor on the side. Over here, we enjoy the love of our audience, we get very challenging roles to do, unless someone can better that, we won't think of doing a film anywhere else,''said the junior Bachchan in an interview to a private TV channel.

Speaking in an interview on CNN International, for its programme 'CNN Talk Asia', Abhishek, however, did not altogether rule out the possibility of doing a Hollywood film.

'' I'm sure, tomorrow, if there was an inquiry about a film which excited me creatively, why not? I'd love to. I think it's good to broaden one's horizons. I look upon it as a learning experience.

But as of now, I've never been offered anything which excited me or something that I felt would be challenging enough for me to do,'' Abhishek said on the programme, to be telecast on Saturday at 2130 hours.

On wife Aishwarya and father Amitabh Bachchan's forays in Hollywood, he said,'' I think Dad and Aishwarya, don't look upon it as going to the West. They look upon it as doing another film, it just happens to be in another language.'' Asked whether the presence of so many brilliant actors in the family put an additional burden on him, he said, ''Unfortunately a lot of people try and portray who I am, the kind of family I come from and try and make it out to be a huge burden, it's really not.

It's anything but that. People talk about expectations, people talk about your own personal standards that you have to set. I look upon it more positively, where I feel they're great goals to try and achieve.'' He added, ''I believe I have two of the most gifted actors on earth at home. I've recently got married to another one of my favorite actors, so, I think they're all great in their fields and they're great standards for me. And I've always looked upon it positively because I feel they're good human beings who have gone about their profession in the correct way and I'd like to emulate that. I've never looked upon it as a burden.'' Abhishek, who appears with Aishwarya in the forthcoming 'Sarkar Raj', said the experience of working together on the same set was thrilling.

''I love it. Both of us being actors know that there's going to be times ahead where we're not going to see each other for months.

So we enjoyed every moment of the shoot. And the great thing is that for the past few year we've been working together,''he said.

Having attained stardom after a long and arduous struggle which saw him acting in nearly a dozen flops in a row in the beginning of his career before 'Dhoom' and 'Bunty Aur Babli' brought about a turnaround.

''At the end of the day it's got to do with luck. That's one thing you learn very quickly in the Indian film industry. You can work really hard on your physique, on your craft and on the films you do. You can choose the best of directors, the best of productions, get the best technicians, you can put your entire body and soul into a film, but at the end of the day, it all depends on the audience,''he said.

UNI