Priyanka Chopra is in a relaxed mood. She has what she calls a “spontaneous holiday” from the shooting of Krissh. Though she’s being offered plum assignments, Priyanka has chosen to play what she describes as a relatively small role in Bluffmaster! “See, Abhishek plays the title role. I knew exactly what I had to do. And I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I’m only doing the films I know I’ll be proud of. And Bluffmaster! is certainly one such film. Being a female artiste, it’s unlikely for me to play the title role in Bluffmaster! or Don. But I was the only girl on the sets. I play Abhishek’s love interest. But Abhishek and Riteish make a pair. They’re fantastic. Their chemistry together is unbelievable. Abhishek is a fantastic actor. He knows exactly what to do and how the film will turn out. When he was acting I realised how intelligent he is as an actor.”

She’s also doing a film with Hrithik Roshan. “Abhishek and Hrithik are very different, but very very good actors. Duggu (Hrithik) is also a spontaneous actor. Both of them are very focused on their roles.”

She chuckles at the memory of the pranks shared with Abhishek. “One day we decided we’ll take Rohan’s [Sippy, the director] trip. We decided to pull a prank regarding Nana Patekar whom we were all scared of. I used to arrive half an hour before him and wait for him. No pranks when he was around. But one day Abhishek and I decided to make up this story and complain that Nana had misbehaved with me. I went hysterically hammy. Rohan was ready to speak to Nana when we all burst out laughing?Nana has such an aura of being private and inaccessible. But he’s a warm soul. He used to bring food for all of us.”

About her director Priyanka speaks warmly. “He made the film with his heart. I came out of Bluffmaster! with great memories, great friends?All my friends are from the films I work in. Otherwise,” she groans dramatically, “I’ve no one to go out with. Come on, hook me up with someone.”

Her parting shot: “Of all the films I’ve done so far, this one has been the most fun to make. Bluffmaster! is one of a kind. While everything was completely organised, all of us ?Rohan, Riteish, Abhishek and I ? were completely mad on the sets. This wasn’t an easy film to make. This kind of a film hasn’t been made in Hindi before.”

It’s been a tough year for Priyanka. “My father fell ill. Now he’s in American recovering. He’s out of the hospital, but he has to get himself checked once a week. The doctors say he’ll be ready to return in January. He’s been in hospital for six months. It’s been a traumatic time. I think I’ve matured quite a lot. Professionally it was quite a tumultuous year. Waqt did really well?Barsaat too did well?Now I hope to pull a hattrick with Bluffmaster! God’s been very kind to my career. Good things happened after Aitraaz?Now I’ve Rakesh Roshan’s Krissh and Rumi Jaffrey’s God Tussi Great Ho which are complete, Farhan Akhtar’s Don which I start shooting in January, Dharmesh Darshan’s Aap Ki Khatir and Nikhil Advani’s Salaam-e-Ishq where I pair with Akshaye Khanna for the first time?All these films will be over by July 2006.”

Is Priyanka happy inching towards the top slot? “It’s such a slippery place to be in, dude. Mr Bachchan, Shah Rukh, Madhuri, Kajol, Ash?they’ve been there for years. But look at them. They’re incredible artistes. I’m happy being recognised as versatile. I just want to let things flow. I’ve been here for a very short span of time.”

Guest who

• There was Salaam Namaste some months ago where Abhishek Bachchan suddenly appeared unbilled as a frazzled madcap doctor to deliver Preity’s twins. Then Abhishek sauntered into Sujoy Ghosh’s Home Delivery and last week he walks in and out of two of the three releases — Neal 'N' Nikki and Ek Ajnabee.

• What’s with this rush-hour on Guest Appearance Street? Abhishek smiles tiredly. “First of all I refuse to call any of those so-called walk-on parts ‘guest appearances’. Every part is a character and I played a character in Salaam Namaste, Neal 'N' Nikki, Ek Ajnabee and even Home Delivery where I was barely visible for a few seconds.”

• Dosti ke liye kuchh bhi karega….seems Abhishek’s motto in life. “All these small characters were played for the sake of dear friends. Uday Chopra is one of my dearest friends. It was a pleasure just being part of something as important for him as Neal 'N' Nikki. Director Arjun Sablok is someone I’ve known for some time now….For Home Delivery I was there for the opening shot. Sujoy Ghosh is a friend and I volunteered to play a customer at the pizza joint just for fun. As for Ek Ajnabee, Apoorva Lakhia is one of my closest friends. Both Lara and I did his first film, Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost, and we just had to be part of his second film, specially since Dad plays the lead. I believe Lara and I are received with claps and whistles.”

• Any more such surprise appearances coming up? “None that I can remember,” Abhishek grins. “But it all started with Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...where I had I sauntered into a shot. Karan edited me out. I guess I’m making up for lost time,” says Abhishek. — SKJ