Mumbai:Despite being from one of the most celebrated families in Bollywood and in the country, Abhishek Bachchan did have to go through his share of struggle to survive in the industry.
“Despite being Mr Amitabh Bachchan’s son, there was no leniency from the audience nor from the critics. Dad too has never been biased towards me. The experience of watching my own film with dad sitting next to me can be extremely unnerving. But on second thoughts, constructive criticism and analysis can be very helpful for an actor,” says junior AB.
The success of his films Guru, Paa, Dostana, Bol Bachchan and Dhoom 3 were enough to silence his detractors. Currently, looking forward to the release of his big ticket to super stardom, Happy New Year, Abhishek is having the last laugh. “It has been a journey full of ups and downs. Apart from rediscovering myself as an actor, I also realised my strengths as a producer and an entrepreneur. Honestly, I’m only too happy with the growth.” Ask Junior B to choose between acting and filmmaking, and he says, without batting an eyelid, “Acting!” But he would want to give his best shot at filmmaking too. “I want to make good films,” he says. AB is also excited about his new role as an entrepreneur. “My journey as an entrepreneur has just begun. Being a sports enthusiast, I want to get the youth inspired by the various sports that are being played in our country. With celebrities lending their names to the sports and various teams, it adds to the hype,” he says.
With his close buddies, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, John Abraham and Ranbir Kapoor also owning teams in the Indian Super League, is there competition between them? “All of us are passionate about football. Honestly, when we’re chilling and not shooting, we never talk shop. But football is and will always be a passion. Certainly, I want my team to win maximum matches. In that aspect, there is competition, but healthy competition.” AB reveals that he has taken a break from work to focus on the ISL matches. “I want to give the tournament my undivided attention. After the release of Happy New Year, I want to put all my energy in mentoring my team. I’ll resume work with the shooting of Umesh Shukla’s All Is Well from January.”
Incidentally, his better half Aishwarya Rai Bachchan too will start shooting for her comeback film around the same time. We ask him about the progress on that front and he says, “I’m not involved with Jazbaa in any way. It’s my wife’s film and I’m looking forward to it.” The actor point blank denies all rumours about him monitoring the progress of the film.
According to the producer of Happy New Year and his good friend Shah Rukh Khan, AB is the actor to watch out for in the film. “He said that?” smiles an elated Junior B. “Shah Rukh is the most sorted and secure person. He’s family and I’ve known him for years. But it was the time we spent during the making of HNY that made me understand why he is what he is,” he says with a smile.
Abhishek continues, “A lot of people asked me why was I doing films that have an ensemble star cast. Why not a solo hero film? I wish someone could give some clarity on that comment. Was Guru a solo hero film? The answer is no. It had R. Madhavan and Mithun Chakraborty in pivotal roles. Was Paa a solo hero film? No. It had my father who added brilliance to it. Even Bol Bachchan had Ajay Devgn. I’ve never claimed to be the ‘hero’. It’s not about how many dialogues and songs you have in a film that matters. If the audience walks out of the theatre smiling because of you, it’s your victory all the way. Having said that, I’d like to add that all my co-stars have played a huge role in my career. Even my manager and my publicists have worked with me in perfect tandem.”
Abhishek’s says that his respect for people comes from his upbringing. “I was taught to value people and respect them. My parents ensured that they install the right values in us. My father’s staff and core team have worked with him for decades. I want my daughter, Aradhya to have the same values.” One cannot miss how his face lights up the moment he says “Aradhya”. We tell him that the toddler has her mother’s stunning looks. “Thank God! I always wanted her to look like her mother,” he laughs, taking a good look at himself in the mirror.
