Abhishek Bachchan on Cinema: “A Safe Film Is One That Touches Your Heart”

Abhishek Bachchan on Cinema: Abhishek Bachchan, who is currently in the spotlight for his OTT film Be Happy, has been experimenting with his roles recently. He has proven with his talent that his success comes not from being the son of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan but from his own skills. Over the past few years, he has taken on diverse roles, whether it’s in Ludo, Bob Biswas, Dasvi, or Ghoomer. In a recent interview, he shared his thoughts on his career and more. Let’s take a look at what he had to say.

• You've been choosing films that break the mold like Bob Biswas, Dasvi, Ghoomer, and I Want to Talk. While actresses often prefer playing it safe, how do you manage to take these risks?

Abhishek Bachchan: Honestly, I find all these films to be safe. A safe film is one that touches your heart. These stories have touched my heart. As an actor, if you don’t listen to your heart and only follow your brain, you’ll quickly disconnect from your work. We artists work emotionally. When you watch a film, you’re often asked if it was good or bad, but no one asks why it was bad. That’s because it’s all about feelings. You should choose films based on whether the story resonates with you and whether you’d like to watch it yourself. If the answer is yes to both, then you should definitely take on that project.

• There is a lot of pressure and stress on Fridays when films are released in theaters. However, your recent film I Want to Talk was released on OTT. Do you feel relieved by this?

Abhishek Bachchan: On OTT, you don’t have the Friday pressure. In theaters, you get to know how the film is performing right away, but on OTT, the pressure builds up throughout the week. We always talk about box office collections, but what do they really tell us? They just indicate whether people liked the film or not. If people like the film, the collections will rise. On OTT, there’s no other measure. If people like the film, they’ll renew their subscriptions; if not, they won’t watch it. So, the pressure isn’t really there.

• Everyone today has more access to information, especially through social media. How do you view the current era of social media?

Abhishek Bachchan: I don’t use social media much. But yes, it’s true that social media has become a huge trend. Personally, I don’t believe in it. As an actor, in the end, what really matters is what you do on the big screen. You can post thousands of selfies, but that won’t make people come and watch your film.

• There’s a trend where films aren’t doing well at the box office. What are your thoughts on this?

Abhishek Bachchan: I disagree with that statement. In the last 12 months, there have been three films that have grossed over 500 crores. Look, some films will work, and some won’t. This has always been the case. What I don’t like is how the audience today is more interested in knowing box office collections. When we were young, we never asked about the collections of Amar Akbar Anthony. We simply asked if the film was a hit or a flop, whether it was good or bad. I think the focus should be on that. Nowadays, the media talks a lot about collections, and we too post about it on social media. The collection is an industry thing. As an actor, we should focus on whether the audience liked the film or not.

• You’ve played a father in both I Want to Talk and Be Happy. How has being a father to Aaradhya helped you in these roles?

Abhishek Bachchan: We are all actors, and our job is to act. In my career, I’ve played roles like a leader, thief, police officer, contract killer, and more. In real life, I’m none of those things, so what I mean to say is that we have to adapt to the roles we play. But yes, being a father in real life has certainly helped me understand the emotions of fatherhood better. It makes it easier for me to portray such characters.

• The trend of re-releasing films is gaining popularity. If you had to re-release one of your films, which one would it be?

Abhishek Bachchan: I’d love to re-release Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. When it released in 2006, it felt like Karan Johar’s film was ahead of its time. The current generation would definitely appreciate it. Another film I would choose is Delhi-6.

Abhishek Bachchan’s Films

Abhishek Bachchan has been part of the film industry for almost 25 years, and during this time, he’s acted in some memorable films like Guru, Raavan, Umaro Jaan, Kuch Na Kaho, Om Jai Jagdish, Sarkar, Don, Dhoom, Dostana, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Bunty Aur Babli, Bol Bachchan, Manmarziyaan, The Big Bull, Housefull 3, Paa, Khele Hum Ji Jaan Se, Dhoom 2, Sarkar Raj, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Laga Chunari Mein Daag, Delhi 6, Khele Hum Ji Jaan Se, Dasvi, Ghoomer, and I Want to Talk.

Upcoming Projects

Looking ahead, Abhishek Bachchan will soon be seen in Housefull 5 and The Big Bull Season 2. There are also rumors that he might appear in Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming film King.

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