Abhishek Bachchan: Uber Coolness Redefined

This guy is as candid as one can be. From top to toe, he is a simple ordinary young guy who is still the same as he was years ago before attaining the status of a star actor. The biggest advantage of this starlet is amazingly gifted with clarity in composition and stature. With the legendary genes running in his cells, he is an embodiment of Strength and Power! Not the power and the tantrums that any other star has, but the capability of mixing and gelling with almost everyone: from another contemporary actor or an ordinary crew member, Abhishek readily greets everyone with a smile; one that can pack in a thunderous effect on million hearts. Donning the cap of a son, a brother, an uncle, an actor, a husband and now a doting father, he has made his Family proud. Someone who’s known to be a fighter, whether it was fighting the terrible dyslexia that wrapped him during his formative years or the string of flops that tagged him as another ordinary actor with no acting skills, he has done it all. From ‘Yuva’ to ‘Players’, he has catapulted himself to extreme heights. As an actor, he evolved into someone others look up to with utmost stride and grace. From zero to a hero par excellence, he is still the same human being we know!
With impeccable sense of manners and behavioral expressions, this man stands genuinely the tallest among all the actors now when it comes to the coolness quotient!

On a promotional spree for his recently released ‘Bol Bachchan’, Abhishek takes out time to have a chat with us on Life, before and after joining the industry, his upcoming releases and notably on the beautiful addition to their family: Beti B!!

Passion, glamour, glitz, hard work, ability and expressions: A blend of which of the following factors do you see in a successful actor?

If you ask me, I would say, you need a lot of hard work, ability and loads of luck! If you are not lucky, trust me you will not be able to sustain yourself out here.

Very few people know that you have been dyslexic as a child but a fighter that you are known for, you never rally had any qualms about it! Was life difficult then?

No, I wasn’t even made aware of the fact that I was dyslexic until I left school. My parents didn’t want me to know about it and in that way, I have always lead a normal life.

You started your film career with ‘Refugee’. Post that, there was a rough phase in your life when you had a string of 15 to 17 flop films. Did you tend to lose hope at any point?

Well, it was not just any point; I started losing hope at every point of my career then. People often forget that we are also humans and we also have human emotions. But when you do something, you make a film and it doesn’t do well, it takes its toll on you! I have never been such a person who is callous and says ‘It doesn’t make any difference’. For me, it makes a very big difference! I was very down at one point of time after that phase. But then my dadaji’s (Harish Rai Bachchan) poems kept my hopes and my self confidence alive. Thanks to that, Yuva happened and things tilted my way a bit. This is my Life, this is my job, this is what I do! I cannot be careless about it ever.

If you look at it this way, there was this similar phase early in the life of your father too. But now he is the undisputed Shahenshah of the industry. Do you think you will strike gold the same way?

I would work towards trying to do that. Whether it happens or not, is up to Fate. It’s upon my audiences and God. But I will work as hard to try and make that a possibility.

Considering the fact that ‘Yuva’ helped you prove your mettle as an actor, do you take it as the turning point in your career?

From a public perspective, obviously yes! Yuva is most definitely the film that helped me prove myself as an actor. Even from the career point of view, Yuva was the first time people recognized me and felt that I could act! They enjoyed my performance. That was most definitely a turning point in my career!

2011 was quite an eventful year for you. Though ‘Game’ didn’t work as expected, but the role of ACP Vishnu Kamath that you essayed in ‘Dum Maaro Dum’ earned you numerous accolades. Did that make you happy and relaxed?

Of course, anytime a film of yours does well, it brings extreme joy and happiness! That is what we do. We work to entertain the audience. Nothing gives us bigger joy than the fact that we have managed to do what we had just wanted to!

Bol Bachchan is the first film where you play a double role. Was it challenging?

Actually, I am not playing a double role even in Bol Bachchan too. I am the same human being playing two different characters, but it is not a double role. A double role is something when two different people with the same face play two different characters. But ‘Bol Bachchan’ was extremely different from them. In fact I have done the same thing in previous of mine like ‘Bunty aur Babli’ and ‘Bluffmaster’! The character I play is called Abbas and trying to hide one lie, he keeps on telling a basket of lies eventually making up a fake twin brother.

You had even mentioned that Bol Bachchan is the toughest film you had done ever. Why so?

When I signed this film and went on set, I felt this would be a lot of fun, given the fact that I have worked with Rohit in Zameen and most importantly, everyone was a buddy even before the film was started. The first day of the shoot, which I went to broke all my self set hopes and expectations as it turned out to be quite the opposite. Comedy is a tough nut to be cracked and for me, playing Abhishek and Abbas was not easy at all. It was equally difficult to maintain the energy level through out. I was actually waiting for its release so that I can literally relax. Rohit drove the hell out of me to make things be just perfect!

The prankster that lies within you must have been a high. So what pranks did you play on your co-stars this time while shooting Bol Bachchan?

I don’t play pranks! I don’t know why they have labeled me as a prankster. I am not a prankster but I am someone who likes to enjoy my work and I like to ensure that anybody working with me has a good time working. But yes, I am definitely not a prankster. I don’t play pranks on people!

Next up for you is the hugely anticipated Dhoom 3. How is everything going on?

Well, Dhoom 3 is already on the floors, our second unit is currently filming for the same. I will join now, since Bol Bachchan was taking up a lot of my time. The shoots, the injury, the promotions: now that everything is over, I am all geared up to give my best shot for Dhoom 3. And coming to expectations, well this would undoubtedly be huge, after all, it’s the Dhoom series and then this time you have Aamir Khan. This one is surely the biggie. I am happy that the unit is back together and we promise to bring in the best of the package till date. Plus, having aamir on board is the biggest plus point. He is currently the nation’s number 1 box office star. Who would not like to work with Aamir? This was just the opportunity I needed (Smiles).

RAPID FIRE:

Abhishek’s weakness lies within: Myself!

Abhishek’s strength is in: My family

One thing that sets you apart from your contemporaries: Myself!

A role you wish you had done: None!
Something that you want to change in yourself: Almost everything. As an actor, you need to grow and improve yourself! Keeping that in mind, I always wanted to better myself from what I was yesterday!

A tagline that best suits you: I do it my way!

Someone you trust the most: My entire family.

Someone that pisses you off at once: Not much gets to me actually; I am very cool that way!

Last time you cried was: I do cry but I don’t remember!

Now coming to your family: the Bachchan clan: You had a beautiful addition last November! So how has life changed post Beti-B?

Life hasn’t really changed! I have been very busy either shooting or promoting my films. So I didn’t really have the amount of time I would want to spend with her! But I have been back to work and working round the clock! But yes I was injured in between and I was happy that I could be around her for quite sometime. Everyone and everything in the family now is related to her. We cannot just take our eyes off the little angel. But then again, you can’t leave your work. So whenever I am not there, thanks to technology, I can see their faces at least!

Are you enjoying the fatherhood now?

Well, definitely yes! It seems like a complete new world to me. I just hope I can be as good a father to my daughter as my father was to me!

Did Amitji give you any tips on becoming an ideal father?

No, we don’t have such conversations as of now! Everybody’s attention has been solely diverted towards my daughter now.