'Nothing Wrong with Asking for Work'

Abhishek Bachchan speaks to Shama Bhagat about playing a ruthless mentor in Ghoomer, dealing with failure, and being a sportsman at heart

- Shama Bhagat

Ghoomer marks your reunion with director R Balki after Paa in 2009. Tell us about your working relationship with him.

I have been associated with R Balki for the last 20 years. Our first film together was Paa, but we have also collaborated on several commercials. I like his sensibilities and unique take on life. Balki shares his ideas and when I say I like them, he writes them down in detail. For Ghoomer, he was inspired by the story of Károly Takács, a Hungarian pistol shooter, who lost his right hand in a grenade explosion. But, he trained himself to shoot with his left hand and went on to win two gold medals at the Olympics.

How did you prepare for the role of the harsh cricket mentor?