Image shared on Instagram. (Courtesy: bachchan)
Abhishek Bachchan was left pleasantly surprised when his upcoming film Ghoomer got the approval of cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle. In a video shared by the YouTube channel of Ghoomer producers' Hope Productions, Harsha Bhogle can be heard saying that at first, he was apprehensive about watching a film that had actors who he knew personally, but all his apprehensions and uneasiness were put to rest after watching Ghoomer. Harsha Bhogle was quoted as saying, "I went to see a movie recently and I went with a combination of excitement and unease. A little bit of unease, because I didn't know how I'd react to a film where I knew a lot of people in it. I've known Balki for a long time. There's been a debate in the house or whether we like Cheeni Kum more or Paa more. I was always on the Paa side, my wife was on Cheeni Kum side. I've been invested in Sayami Kher's performance as she is an outstanding anchor and also a cricketer. I wanted to see how she combined the two. So I was a little confused about how I'd react to the film with people that I knew in it.”
He went on to say that unlike other sports dramas where the sport is not given proper treatment by virtue of the actor not being a sportsperson, this was not the case with Ghoomer as it cast Saiyami, "a proper cricketer" as the protagonist. “I was also a little concerned about how the cricket would be shot. We've all seen sports movies where the emotion is built up, the drama is built up and then suddenly the sport starts and you say, yeah, they tried to teach the actor cricket but it's not working. Within the first ten minutes or so, that first fear was gone," Harsha Bhogle noted.
Speaking at length about Saiyami's performance, Harsha Bhogle said, “It's not just Saiyyami - who is a proper cricketer. She's an actor, but she's also a proper cricketer. So there was never going to be any doubt about that, but also on how the rest of the characters play. When there's an India-England game, they're all cricketers playing and he (Balki) didn't compromise on that. That gives the movie a touch of authenticity.”
Last but not least, in Harsha Bhogle's detailed review of the film, Abhishek Bachchan also found mention as a result of his "outstanding performance." The cricket commentator while reviewing his acting said, "Then there was Abhishek Bachchan. I think he lives the role of the coach. Sometimes you can have a coach who's trying to motivate a player, whether it's the hard way or the soft way, but sometimes the lines can appear a little straight out of a motivational lecture. I love the way Abhishek marred the two into his character. I could recognize a couple of cricketers within the character that Abhishek plays, but I'll leave it for you to decide. But needless to say, he is outstanding, especially in the first half.”
An overwhelmed Abhishek Bachchan was quick to react to the review with these kind words as he wrote, "The is amazing, thank you so much Harsha Bhogle ji."
Take a look at Harsha Bhogle's Ghoomer review:
Now see how Abhishek Bachchan reacted to it:
The cricket commentator's review was also shared by Abhishek's dad Amitabh Bachchan on his Instagram feed. Expressing his heartfelt gratitude, the Paa star wrote, "My gratitude Harsha Bhogle ji .. couldn't agree with you more .."
See Big B's post below:
Meanwhile, Abhishek's upcoming film Ghoomer premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023 (IFFM). Before the premiere of Ghoomer, Abhishek Bachchan along with his co-stars Saiyami Kher and Angad Bedi visited the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. Sharing a bunch of pictures from his day out, the actor wrote, "What an honour to walk around the MCG. Now to walk towards the premiere tonight. Wish us luck. #IiffMelbourne #TeamGhoomer #IFFM2023 and #GhoomerInMelbourne”
Shabana Azmi also shared a photo dump from Melbourne. In the caption, the actress revealed how Abhishek Bachchan took her, Saiyami Kher and Angad Bedi out for lunch at an Italian restaurant.
Ghoomer is all set to release in theatres on August 18.