A Chat with Abhishek Bachchan

Its been 20 years since Abhishek Bachchan’s debut film as an actor. There was an innocence about him back then. A vulnerability that set him apart from others of his breed. He was Amitabh Bachchan’s son and comparisons to his father were all but inevitable. But Abhishek wasn’t an Amitabh clone. He was very much his own actor. Slowly and steadily, he made sure everyone noticed that. There is a certain gravitas in him as an actor, something which has only increased with time. You saw that in Yuva, in Guru, in Manmarziyaan, He ventured into OTT space with Breathe: Into the Shadows and while the initial reactions were positive, he sadly tested positive for COVID-19. Panic ensued when both Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan were admittted to the Nanavati hospital. He asked his fans to stay calm.“Both my father and I tested positive for COVID 19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic.” Here’s what the actor had to say a few days prior to him being days before he was tested:

What has changed and remained unchanged about you?
I think what’s remained unchanged about me is my excitement to do what I do. I love being an actor, I love being part of films, I love making films, I’m passionate about it. So that hasn’t changed. What has changed, I think experience teaches you a lot. Twenty years are enough to learn about how to do things, how to improve, how to better yourself. So I would like to believe that the experience of twenty years has taught me a lot and brought a change in me.

Did you feel emotional playing the father of a daughter…since you are one in real life too…
To be honest, if you’d asked me this question 10 years ago, I’d have said that I’m an actor, my job is to act and I have to learn through observation. Today, I can perform not just by observation but also by actually experiencing what I have gone through as a father. If I had asked you five years ago, how do you think it will feel to be a father? Your answer would have been different. Today, because you are a father, you’ll understand that emotion, you can answer that question better. That’s the only difference. The difference is that today I have first-hand experience of that emotion. I don’t need to create that emotion, that emotion is within me.

How was the experience of working with Nithya Menen?
Outstanding. She is unbelievably brilliant as an actor. She is one of the best actresses I have worked with. She is so effortless, she is so natural, it’s just been a pleasure.

Does digital provides more freedom in the kind of scripts and characters one can attempt?
Yes, it does. And there’s a reason for that. The criteria for cinema is different as compared to a web series. Streaming platforms are a lot more intimate experience as compared to cinema. In theatre you watch a film with two hundred and sometimes with five hundred people — and sometimes you’re even with your family. The web series you can watch alone on your phone or TV or laptop in your room. So there are different requirements all together. You can push the envelope a lot more on OTT platorms. Going to the film theatre is seen as a family outing in our country. So it is not just an individual that you cater to. Yes there are many people who go with their friends, but it’s more of a community experience. When that is there then I need to make a film, which the whole family can sit together and enjoy. That means putting something for everybody in the film. That is not necessary in a web series. It can be there as well, I’m not saying that can’t be a criterion.

On OTT platforms, you don’t have box-office pressures. But is there something that still makes you feel apprehensive?
Yes, if you are talking about the Friday jitters — they aren’t there because currently there is no barometer to judge. But the endgame is all the same. At the end of the day, the audience has to like your work. If they like your work in a film they’ll go for repeat viewings. That means your collections will increase and your film will be called a hit. Here also, if your work is good then they will watch it again and again and the streaming service will know what the figures are and they will employ you for their next product. It’s as simple as that. So, in both cases at the end of the day it’s the audience which matters. The audience has to like what you do.

How did you spend these three months of lockdown?
I spent them at home. Where else could you go? I looked upon it as a blessing because I got to spend quality time with my family, which I get to do rarely. The whole family was together after a very long time and for such a huge period of time. It was nice to have everyone under one roof.