THE INHERITOR

In fact, it wasn’t hard to see the young AB in this AB. The same six foot frame looming large, the same quick wit, the same endearing charm which can draw you closer, and the same Amitabh like aloofness which makes you retrace a few steps. And it all adds up to an enigmatic persona who’s hard to resist. Not surprisingly then his imminent debut has been a topic of discussion. And no one was fooled when his parents insisted that the boy was more interested in the behind-the-scenes intricacies of film-making, that he was much too young for stardom, that he was planning to go abroad for higher studies in another field. Abhishek was destined to be a star. Now the only thing that remained to be decided was, who would be the chosen one to launch him.

After the mega success of Bandit Queen Shekhar Kapur seemed to be the obvious choice. The rumour mills were buzzing overtime till Shekhar took off over the seven seas, more interested in Elizabeth I than Amitabh II.

Then Manoj Desai, who heads the Amitabh Bachchan Fan Club, announced that he was going to be launching Abhishek. And papa Amitabh and Shah Rukh Khan were also part of the cast. However, the initial excitement was quelled by a quick denial.

The next name on the list of can-bes was Ketan Desai's. The son of Manmohan Desai who had given Amitabh some of his biggest blockbusters. Ketan was his father’s son and Abhishek was his father’s son too. Their teaming seemed right. Jaya Bachchan admits that Ketan will be making a film with Abhishek. But it won’t be Bachchan junior’s first. That honour goes to JP Dutta who came out of the wilderness with his war epic Border, a film which got him rave reviews, several awards and an A1 rating from the Bachchans.

So JP it will be who will chart Abhishek’s path on celluloid. And the choice of subject for Bachchan junior’s launch vehicle had intrigued many. Aakhri Mughal was Kamal Amrohi’s unfulfilled dream. A dream he’d planned with Amitabh at one time. It is only right that Abhishek Bachchan who, today, is a star without an image, lives out that dream. And no, papa or mama won’t be joining Abhishek in front of the camera. It’ll be the thespian Dilip Kumar who’ll keep him company. That’s enough to make any newcomer quake. But then, Abhishek isn’t just any newcomer. He’s Abhishek Bachchan, who may not have been groomed for stardom, but he certainly is destined for it. And as JP says, "He has the right attitude... and the makings of an outstanding actor."