Actor Abhishek Bachchan is overjoyed after crossing 1 million followers on micro-blogging site Twitter."1 million!!!! wow! thank you to the coolest crew in the world. thank you for the love and support. NOW PLAY SOMETHING LOUD!!!! (sic)," the 35-year-old posted.

Abhishek has 1,000,029 followers and 14,383 tweets till date, but he is still far behind his father, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who holds the top position on the micro-blogging site with 1,896,417 followers. The 69-year-old got the number one spot after beating actress Priyanka Chopra, who now stands second on the list with 1,874,802 followers and 5,716 tweets.

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Directors: Abbas-Mustan

Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Sonam Kapoor, Sikandar Kher, Omi Vaidya, Vinod Khanna, Johny Lever

The one thing Abbas-Mustan films practically guarantee, despite the degree of theft or ‘inspiration’ from Hollywood flicks, is pacy entertainment. The plot of `Players’ is not stolen, but honorably bought, and has a terrific pedigree : the original ‘Italian Job’ had the groovy Michael Caine as super-thief Charlie, and lots of lovely lolly; the remake nearly 40 years later had the beefy Mark Wahlberg reprising Charlie the Chor’s role, and the very dishy Charlize Theron as the bad-good girl. Both films gave us the kind of enjoyment the best heist movies do : slick thieves with slicker moves, blonde bombshells, zippy car-chases and worthy villains.

The reason I’m giving you all these points is because the director-duo practically compels you into making comparisons, even if they claim they have Bollywoodized a lot of it. So you sit there and tick-off the points, and against each, instead of an uptick, there’s a big, fat cross. And this has to be said too. Even if you haven’t seen the other two films, 'Players’ comes off as a dismal first for Abbas-Mustan, with a flat script, flatter action scenes, and the flattest bunch of actors, all milling about in one film.

The only thing Abhishek has in common with his illustrious predecessors is the name. Charlie (Bachchan) implores jailed heist-meister Victor Dada (Khanna) to help him put together the best ‘players’ for a job that needs a make-up expert, a hacker, an explosives man, an engine-tweaker, and a magician (Vaidya, Mukesh, Kher, Basu, Deol). The requirement of placing a good girl amongst all these bad ‘uns is filled by the foreign-returned computer expert Ms Kapoor, whose dearest wish is that the recently-released-from-prison daddy dearest, the self-same Victor Dada, stick to the straight and narrow from now on. The target, a massive stack of heavily-guarded gold ingots to be spirited away from the heart of Russia, under the noses of the military and the mafia, helps banish scruples. And sets the Players on the road.

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Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who stars in Abbas-Mustan's latest film Players has praised the director duo for being the ultimate entertainers. "Abbas bhai and Mustan bhai are great. And the ultimate entertainers. Was an honor working with them and a great crew. Go for Gold guys," Abhishek wrote on Twitter.

The 35-year-old actor was also all praises for his co-stars from the film. "All- Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Neil Nitin Mukesh,Omi Vaidya, Sikander (Kher) and Bobby have worked very hard on this film," he said. Players hit the theatres today.

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Bollywood star, Abhishek Bachchan is descending to UK shores for the release of his latest film 'Players'. The action-packed, Abbas Mastan directed movie is opening up at cinemas nationwide this Friday (6th January 2012) by B4U Pictures. Abhishek Bachchan will be at Cineworld Feltham, London at 17:00. 'Players' is the latest release from B4U Pictures after the success of films like 'Tanu Weds Manu' and 'Robot'.

'Players' is is the remake of Hollywood movie 'The Italian Job'. It focuses around a team of thieves who plan to steal gold bullions from a former associate who double crossed them. It also stars Bipasha Basu, Sonam Kapoor, Bobby Deol and Neil Nitin Mukesh.

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Abhishek Bachchan, who was in Indore recently, spoke about how he feels that there's scope for him to improve and evolve as an actor.

Have you ever been to Indore before?
I used to come to Bhopal to visit my grandmother, and Indore was one of the places where our flight used to land. My cousins were studying at Daly College in the city, so we used to come to Indore to meet them. I think the city is developing at a rapid rate.

You just became a dad and you're already out and about for film promotions, is it hard to leave your family behind due to work commitments?
Yes, it is definitely something which cannot be explained. People who might have faced similar situations in any other profession would definitely understand the emotions that we go through.

So have you finally decided on a name for your little girl?
I will let you know once we finalise it. We call her Bitiya as of now. It's been a long journey for you as an actor, and with a career that spans across almost 40 to 50 films.

What according to you is the hardest part of being an actor?
I feel that one of the hardest things in acting is the way you need to switch your emotions. If I give you a role where you need to smile and laugh, then you need to think of some of the happy moments of your life and then cast yourself into the mould of that character. If suddenly, the next shot is about serious stuff, where you require tears flowing from your eyes, you might have to remind yourself of some sad phase, or imagine yourself in that phase. This emotional jugglery which we face is perhaps the hardest thing to do.

And there have been a lot of reports that you're quite the prankster on the sets...
See, movie-making is serious business. The director and the crew are already under a lot of pressure to give their best to the audience. Therefore the best part, for me as an actor, is to act well in the movies and make a jolly atmosphere with the co-stars on the sets. Cracking jokes is a different thing but I have never ever played a prank.

So how do you rate your movies and your performances?
Honestly speaking, I don't like my films.When I watch them, I see a lot of scope for improvement, so if I were to see any of my films, like "Dhoom", I might say... 'It would have been better if...' or 'had it been ...' and this is all about evolving.

Have you seen a change in the Indian audience over the years?
I believe that the Indian audience is much more poetic in nature; they want to see something which they themselves do not have. It might be that they want to imagine themselves in that state. Most of the people are still from predominantly poor backgrounds, and they see the disparity between the rich and the poor, and the public loves the hero who can fight the rich.

Are you also in in the race to develop six-pack abs like your other maly Bollywood counterparts?
(Laughs) Just because I don't show six-pack abs doesn't mean that I don't have them. I cannot play Gurukant Desai with six-pack abs, and the tough cop who does not take any nonsense in "Dhoom" or "Dum Maaro Dum" cannot be someone who loves taking his shirt off and show his six-pack-abs.

I need a concrete reason to take my shirt off on screen and when I see a point in doing so, I will definitely be showing them like Aamir did in " Ghajini".

What do you think makes a film work?
One needs to know what sort of people you need to cater to. Lets talk about " Delhi Belly". Aamir marketed the movie saying that, 'It is meant just for youngsters, those who have a problem can sit at home'.

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It seems Abhishek Bachchan is all praises for his heroine, no we aren’t talking about Kareena Kapoor’s challenging project, but about Bipasha Basu, who will be seen in a lead role opposite Junior Bachchan. Abhi also asserts that it was Bips. who was his first heroine.

Abhishek is a real naughty boy and it’s always fun to work with him, claimed Bips. However, Abhi says that he has a comfort level with the Bong beauty as they have a connection right from Refugee days.  “Bipasha and I know each other from the time of Refugee as both of us had given a screen test together for the lead roles,” explains Abhi.

Kareena entered tinsel town with Abhi baby in their debut movie Refugee.  However, Abhi believes that Bips will always be his first heroine. The actor also claims that Bips is a very nice human and makes everyone around her very comfortable. So, hope the friendship between Bips and Abhi lives forever!

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At a packed South Delhi mall on Thursday, it was all Baby B ka Bowlbala. That was because Abhishek Bachchan stood out among his colleagues and 'bowled' the crowd over as he, Bipasha Basu, Sonam Kapoor and Neil Nitin Mukesh promoted their upcoming film "Players" at a bowling alley there.

They had to change their shoes to start with. "Oh God, I'm going to look crazy in these shoes with this dress," Sonam said to Abhishek, who was also changing sitting next to her. "Oh, you mean you don't look crazy otherwise?" retorted Abhishek, laughing. After some more good-natured ribbing, AB decided a warm-up session was in order. He bowled... and scored a strike! There was a huge round of applause as AB swaggered around, arms spread out in triumph, and told Sonam and Neil, "You guys should quit now, I think."

Finally, Sonam decided to go barefoot, as her size of shoes was not to be found, and the teams were announced - Abhishek and Bipasha, and Sonam with Neil. That's when AB discovered Bipasha wasn't playing! We later heard her tell Sonam, "You're not as short-sighted as I am, so go ahead." So we guess that's the reason she chose not to play. Either that, or the lady was too much in love with her bubblegum pink stilettos! But she cheered the players from the sidelines.

So poor Abhishek had to play for Bipasha too, but he took to the task seriously. So intent was he on the game that after the eighth round, he removed his jacket, and shooed Neil away so that he could concentrate. But it paid off - beating his co-stars by a whisker, AB won the 'tournament'!
There was a quick press conference post this, amid squealing kids and squabbling parents. In fact, in the middle of all this, one little something was heard telling a guard, "Aap toh bodyguard ho. Aap dila do autograph. Aapko kaise nahin denge?"

Anyway, the questions ranged from who their inspiration is (to which Bipasha said her mother, and Neil said Nutan and Waheeda Rehman!), to whether there were any catfights between Sonam and Bipasha. AB had to leave midway, but someone asked Sonam, Bipasha and Neil if they were to be a part of a game, which game it would be. "WWF," said Bipasha promptly, "These precision games are not for me, lekin kisi ko maar-vaar ke kuch karna ho toh jeet jaungi!" "Talking competition," said Sonam. "I can talk to anyone about anything and I can talk a lot!" "Shooting or archery," said Neil, to which Bipasha interrupted with, "Not WWF?" Promptly, Neil said with a wicked look, "Sure. If I'm fighting with you, I'd welcome all the punches and kicks and beatings."

Soon after this, they all stood up to leave and they were followed till the lift by screaming kids, onlookers and the shutterbugs. As they left, the actors were discussing what time to meet to go to a party! Some energy, wot say?

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The Bangalore traffic makes for a good icebreaker. Especially when you come face to face with Abhishek Bachchan, in a quiet room, so far from the frenzy you are used to seeing accompany the actor. “We got delayed (getting back to the hotel) by two hours,” he acquiesces with a sigh. And just like that the setting for the interview goes from edgy to comfortable.

Abhishek was in town with co-stars Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Neil Nitin Mukesh to promote their upcoming movie, Players. What was palpable at the press conference was the easy camaraderie the foursome shared. “That is because we are all friends,” explains Abhishek, reminiscing further, “Sonam, Neil and I have known each other since childhood. In fact, Sonam, Sikander and Bobby (the other two cast members) are my neighbours today. And Bipasha and I did our first ever screen test together.”

Getting the focus back on Players, did he get into the movie knowing that it was inspired by The Italian Job? “I got the script of Players three months after agreeing to do a film with Abbas-Mustan. They spoke about doing a film with me but we couldn’t work it out. They got back to me three months later saying, ‘Look, we have bought the rights to the Italian Job from Paramount pictures’.”

So, does he think the Hindi version is better than the English film? “Players is an action film with Indian sensibilities. It is a masala Hindi film that understands the grammar of the Indian audience. That way, it is completely in the zone,” says Abhishek.

For an actor who has deftly handled his successes and his failures, which in his case get magnified a lot more than his counterparts, the Jr Bachchan reveals that his decision to do a movie relies on only one thing — his desire to do the film. “That is the only reason you should be doing a film,” he asserts. “I hear a script as an audience member so if it appeals to me, I connect with it instantly.”

Shifting gears lightly, its time to wonder about the mob-like paparazzi frenzy that surrounds him and his family. When was the last time you enjoyed a quiet moment without having to look over your shoulder for the paparazzi? “Last night!” he responds, quite seriously too, so you know it’s not a joke. “Every day, in fact,” he animatedly states adding, “It only becomes frenzy if you allow it to be one. It doesn’t bother me and I am absolutely comfortable with it.” Understandably, the madness doesn’t get to him. “As an actor it is important to enjoy yourself. It’s a part and parcel of the field you work in and what you perceive as media interference, I see as media interest. They are just doing their job and that’s just reality,” is his unwavering outlook.

As the interview comes to a wind, you want to know if he’s earmarked any to-dos in his checklist for 2012. “I am among the few actors in the industry who does a lot of work through the year. I completely immerse my energies in creating stuff for audiences, so my checklist for the next year is to continue to work through the year,” he signs off with his trademark smile.

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It has been a month since Bollywood diva Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gave birth to a baby girl and the Bachchans are yet to name her. They are still in search of an appropriate name for the new member of the family. "I would let you know as soon as I have decided upon a name (for my daughter)," Abhishek Bachchan told reporters here at the promo of his latest flick Players. Asked what was his feeling when Aishwarya gave birth to the baby, he said it was the most indescribable thing that ever happens to anybody.

"No matter how good is your vocabulary, you can never get (proper) words of what you feel when you see the child... It is wonderful," he said. Replying to another question, Abhishek said his daughter resembled his wife and he wants her to look like the former Miss World. "Thankfully she (daughter) resembles her mother, but I have been told by the veterans that children's face changes over time ... I think it sounds better she looks like her mother," he said.

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While the Bachchans have declined to share images of Beti B (that’s her nickname till she has a formal name), Abhishek Bachchan lets us in on how the cutie looks like. “Thankfully she (daughter) resembles her mother, but I have been told by the veterans that children's face changes over time ... I think it sounds better she looks like her mother,” Abhishek Bachchan told reporters while promoting Players in Bengaluru.

Abhishek was at a loss for words when he was asked to describe his feelings the moment the baby girl was born. “It’s the most indescribable thing that ever happens...No matter how good is your vocabulary, you can never get words of what you feel when you see the child... It is wonderful,” Abhishek revealed. When asked if a name has been finalized for the little one, Abhishek Bachchan answered: “I would let you know as soon as I have decided upon a name.”

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