By Subhash K. Jha, IANS

Abhishek Bachchan's popularity is soaring with each release but the actor is unaffected because he says he would rather be known as a good actor like his father.

"I want to be known as a good actor. Because once you're a capable actor, stardom happens automatically. Isn't that what happened in my dad's case?" he quipped.

Abhishek found his dad's role as Sexy Sam in "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" (KANK) to be awesome.

"I don't think anybody but dad could've done it. I think it was the toughest role of KANK. To handle a role that can be tagged risqué with such dignity and grace and to pull it off with such emotional resonance, is very commendable," Abhishek told IANS.

Abhishek and his father have played father and son in two films.

"Yes, Ramu's 'Sarkar' and now KANK. I'd say our relationship in real life is very similar to how we are in KANK. Karan has known me from when I was a child. He has spent loads of time with dad and me.

"He has observed us together and incorporated a lot of the traits from my bonding with dad in our on-screen interaction in KANK. But no, I don't call dad 'dude' in real life. That's Karan's cute little innovation."

Abhishek doesn't feel Sexy Sam's role went too far.

"It's a character he's playing, we must remember that. Unfortunately, when it comes to dad, people tend to forget the man on the screen isn't Amitabh Bachchan but a character. It's hard to put aside his real-life persona even when gets completely into character as Sam.

"What I loved about the relationship between Sam and Rishi was the role reversal. It's the dad who seems to be the womaniser. And the son isn't angry or upset about it because the father has always been very open about his feelings.

"And my dad's character redeems himself in the sequence when he confesses his loneliness at the party. Such moments come so naturally to dad. I want to get there one day."

Abhishek is gearing up for his next release "Guru". According to Vidya Balan, Mani Ratnam's "Guru" is Abhishek's show all the way. The actor at the centre of unstopped attention is delighted.

"Did Vidya really say that? So sweet of her! Any actor getting to work with Mani is lucky. I've worked with him twice and I feel twice lucky. He's a sheer pleasure to work with."

"Rest assured when you work with a director of Mani's calibre he's going to challenge you into discovering new areas of your personality. This is what has happened in 'Guru'. Working with Mani is a huge learning experience."

Even as the praises for his performance in KANK reached a crescendo, Abhishek was seen letting his hair down in the recently released "Dhoom 2".

"It's the same genre as the first 'Dhoom' flick. I'd like to believe that we've managed to make it bigger and better. 'Dhoom 2' and 'Umrao Jaan' are my two back-to-back releases. The two are worlds and cultures apart."

Abhishek has just shot for Shaad Ali's "Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom" with Preity Zinta and Lara Dutta. "It's great fun. I'm absolutely relaxed as long as I get to work with friends. It's very important for me to work in a comfortable atmosphere. Fortunately, I've worked mostly with friends so far. Or directors who've become friends in the course of a film being made. That explains why I'm doing Shaad's next and Goldie Behl's second 'Drona'."

Abhishek hasn't signed any new films.

"No one wants to sign me on, what to do," he mock-sighs, and then gets serious. "No matter what you say about my career, I'm not satisfied. We creative people are very selfish. Every time you see a film that doesn't star you, you wish you had done it.

"When I look around I feel there's so much good work being done and how little I've achieved. I'd like to do a lot more work. I see the kind of work my dad is doing at his age. I can only hope and pray I'm able to do that calibre and quantity of work when I reach dad's age."