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Abhishek Bachchan's poor run at the box office continues.
His latest Players, an official remake of The Italian Job, failed to impress critics or lure viewers. Lack of commercial success isn't his only shortcoming. Despite his reasonable talents that sparkle best in skilful hands, namely Mani Ratnam, Bachchan Jr's choice of projects leave even his diehard fans a tad baffled.
Take a look at 10 of his most abysmal movies.
Drona
From an overgrown Harry Potter in Prague to a mythological warrior with super heroic strength of India, Goldie Bahl's fantasy mishmash has Bachchan move around tiredly instead of tirelessly sporting overwhelming layers of zardozi to settle score against Drona's hopelessly hamming villain, Kay Kay Menon.
Drona had the potential to entertain if it wasn't for its clumsy SFX, bumpy screenplay and grating performances.
Read the review here
Exactly how in the world does one take a great, smart script and reduce it to unbelievably appalling piece of fluff?
Abbas-Mustan's Players is a text-book example of the same. The director duo goes overboard lending the remake of The Italian Job their signature twists and turns.
The outcome of this badly-written, badly-acted, fizz-free action movie is unintended hilarity.
Read the review here.
Dharmesh Darshan's weary melodrama is an embarrassment for its cast.
Whatever curiosity the audience harboured over watching former sweethearts, Abhishek and Karisma Kapoor together on big screen, is lost the moment they were subjected to this trite triangle about infidelity and misunderstandings.
Read the review here.
Long before Players, Abhishek worked on another remake, albeit an unofficial one. This desi version of Jennifer Aniston-starrer Picture Perfect features him as a do-gooder from Agra who goes out of his way to help Bollywood debutante Keerti Reddy in her professional crisis.
Barring Ismail Darbar's lilting score there is little to marvel about Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya with its creaky-voiced heroine and a paltry attempt to manipulate AB Jr into recreating his superstar father's iconic moves.
Raj Kanwar has delivered a serviceable romance (Deewana, Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega) from time to time. For the Abhishek-Aishwarya Rai starrer, their first film together, the director took inspiration from Hollywood's A Walk in the Clouds while lending it an unmistakable DDLJ touch.
Only Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke's unimpressive soundtrack, lack of chemistry between its lead players and the Punjabi-overload among its secondary characters translated to one of the dullest romances of the year.
Read the review here.
A man shows up with a television set and satellite connection in a village that's only recently acquired electricity.
On paper, Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost had everything going for it. But this poor man's Lagaan squandered its potential to becoming a gripping story since Abhishek is no Aamir Khan.
The end result was most silly and agonising.
Read the review here.
J P Dutta's laughable retelling of courtesan Umrao Jaan's tragic tale of love and loss, already immortalised in Muzzafar Ali's poetic imagery, had no takers. One of the biggest reasons is its faulty cast. Puru Raaj Kumar and Suniel Shetty generously contribute to the mockery.
While there's no doubting Aishwarya Rai's exquisite beauty, neither she nor her significant other in an unbecoming beard appear comfortable mouthing heavy-duty Urdu.
The awkwardness and Dutta's superficial details makes Umrao Jaan one cumbersome experience.
Read the review here.
Abhishek doles out yet another monotonous performance with Abhinay Deo's distractingly stylish, easily predictable whodunit.
Game's preoccupation with production values and globetrotting over a sensible screenplay didn't go down well with moviegoers, earning it a spot on nearly every Worst Films of 2011 list.
Read the review here.
Unless Shaad Ali's fabulously scored rom-com is a star-studded concert, it doesn't make any sense. Jaded comedy, uninspired performances, annoying catchphrases and a forced Indo-Pak connection, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom tries every trick in the book to entertain but falls flat on its cosmetic face.
Also, what's with AB's hyper flashy wardrobe and funny beard? Nothing trendy about it.
Read the review here.
Despite a promising cast -- Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and the Bachchan in question -- Sooraj Barjatya's attempt to create some more history with Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon was nothing short of a catastrophe.
The filmmaker known for understated romance between his protagonists went terribly wrong with this modern-day Chitchor courtesy a series of loud performances right from its leading man to the tail-end of supporting actors.
Even though, Bachchan kept it restrained, no one showered any Prem on this one.
Read the review here.