He's got the look: Abhishek Bachchan in a still from Umrao Jaan

Sexy sexy sexy, log bole

However, Abhishek Bachchan, aka ‘Asia’s sexiest man’, denies offering to drop his pants for immigration officers in London

Subhash K Jha

Abhishek Bachchan is alarmed by reports stating that he asked the immigration officer in London whether he should “drop his pants” during their customary investigation.

“I was aghast when I saw myself quoted using those cheap words, all over the Internet. Firstly, I don’t speak like that. Secondly, I’d never be rude to officials who are merely doing their job. It’s not their intention to harass you. Considering what the world situation is, we must all co-operate and be patient,” he says.

Meanwhile, Abhishek refuses to be flattered by being chosen Asia’s ‘sexiest man’ by a magazine. “I don’t even know what sexy means. These are appellations that are not to be taken seriously,” says Abhishek, talking from Paris where he’s shooting for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom now. “But yes, I’m humbled by it because I’ve never thought of myself as being sexy. If people have voted for me, then I respect that. But I’m certainly not going to suddenly acquire an extra swagger just because I’ve been called sexy. From where I come, I’ve seen both the highs and the lows. It’s all temporary and the trick of survival is not to take the trappings seriously. There’s no guarantee for a tomorrow in show business. Admitted my dad has proved to be a survivor. But they don’t make his kind of entertainers every day.”

Abhishek plans to return to Mumbai just for a day, on his father’s birthday, October 11. Although no celebrations are on the cards this year, Abhishek makes it a point to be with his dad every year on his birthday…

Actually, this year, he’s looking forward to it more since he has been overcome by a bout of homesickness. Having completed a chunk of the shooting for Shaad Ali’s Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom in London he has now moved with the unit to Paris.

“I miss home, especially since my grandmother is in the hospital. Also the release of the Umrao Jaan’s music soundtrack was on Saturday… a big moment for all of us who have been working on this project. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible for the music company to hold over the release until my return. Nor was it practical for me to fly back to Mumbai for a day. So I just had to miss the occasion,” he says.

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