MUMBAI: Abhishek Bachchan is in Russia shooting complex action scenes ever for Players in the never-before locations of Siberia, while Ram Gopal Varma was left chewing his nails, not because he was worried about Bachchan’s safety during the heart-in-the-mouth stunts in far off Siberia. RGV was worried because his film Department featuring the junior Bachchan was stuck in a dates crisis because of Players.

Adding to Varma’s troubles were rumours that Department has been shelved.

Varma, however, rubbishes these rumours but admits there was a date problem. Now Rana Daggubati has replaced Abhishek in the movie. Hence Bachchan’s original dates for Department have now gone to Players and with good reason.

With much difficulty Abbas-Mustan have secured the permission to shoot Abhishek’s action sequences in Siberia. The sequences are to be shot on the Trans-Siberian railway track where permission is almost-impossible to obtain.

When Varma was requested that Abhishek be relieved of his dates for Department to embark on his Siberian sojourn, the director had no choice but to give in. These are solo stunts involving only Abhishek, which are very complicated to execute.

Varma tells Businessofcinema.com, “Abbas-Mustan needed Abhishek’s dates for some important shooting abroad. But that doesn’t mean I am shelving Department. The earlier plan was to go ahead with the shooting with other members of the cast, Sanjay Dutt and Sarkar (that’s what Varma calls Amitabh Bachchan). Abhishek was to join in the shoot after he finishes the schedule for Players. However, that didn’t work out.”

Interestingly Abhishek needs to get into sinewy shape for both his roles of the encounter cop in Department and for the intricate stunts in Players. The six pack is not far off.