Abhishek Bachchan gets candid about work, family and how he feels he will always be in his father's shadow.
Being happy in whatever he does is most important for
Abhishek Bachchan. And that's something that comes across in his
interview with Niranjan Iyengar on Look Who's Talking.
The actor elaborates, "I was really sad when Khele Hum Jee Jaan Se
didn't get the response it deserved. I believed that freedom fighter
deserved a better response. At that time, what the film's director
Ashutosh Gowariker told me, really hit me. He said, 'Set a goal for
yourself and be happy when you achieve it. Be happy when you do your
work perfectly. Don't care about the world. You can't lose yourself in
quests of pleasing others. It's of no use.' "
"Going back to a happy, healthy family at the end of the day is more
important than being successful," says AB Jr. He confesses that he's
more like his mother than his father and even acts like her. "I am a
people's person like her. I am very outgoing. My dad is a loner. He
likes to have us around. He would call us in his study and we used to
sit there for hours without saying a word. We were never brought up as
star kids. We were any other normal family," he admits.
About his soulmate, Abhishek says they were meant to be. "Aishwarya
is like an anchor for me. My parents had always given me the freedom to
do whatever I wanted. I was carefree. After marriage and my daughter's
arrival, I have become more responsible. She is my buddy, a friend. I
can discuss anything with her. Our relationship is not based on her being the Aishwarya Rai
or me coming from an illustrious family. It is just about two people
falling in love which was organically grown. We shot three films back-to-back for a year at that time. It started during Guru. We were meant to be, it's destiny."
And about his daughter, Abhishek says that, at times, Aaradhya
behaves older than him! "She is a very easy, very happy, very loving
kid. Aishwarya has to be given the credit for the same. She is always
around for Aaradhya. Even when Aishwarya will start working, there won't
be any problem as she is very organised. She thinks about everything
beforehand. I have only once changed a diaper as Aishwarya is so prompt
that she hardly gives anyone else a chance to do anything. I will never
do anything that will bring shame to my daughter today or 10 years down
the line."
Shyness is a trait that comes easily to him. "I cannot walk into a
room alone (restaurants, public spaces). So, the mobile phone is a boon.
I pretend that I am on call if I have to be alone in public spaces!"
One has rarely spotted him without a beard. The face fuzz has been a
constant feature since he was studying abroad he had long hair and a
beard. "I look very innocent and immature without a stubble," he grins.
And no, he is not obsessed about looking good on screen. "I am not a
vain person. I am in the wrong profession, I guess. I feel I don't have
to look good onscreen all the time. I should look the character," he
shares. It's the same about skin show. He feels that one doesn't have to
take out his shirt just because he has a good physique. "If it's the
need of the character then fine. I give a lot of importance to
physicality as it's an important part of getting into character. That is
why I had put on a lot of weight for Guru," he says.
What was his most difficult scene, Abhishek said that Kabhi Alvida Na
Kehnaa (KANK) was a challenging film. "Hrishi's character was really
difficult. I had to play a man who's innocent like a kid. In a
particular scene where I meet Rani (Mukerji) for the first time after we
split up and I have to inform her that my dad is dead and hand over his
photo. My dad (Amitabh) is playing that character and it's his photo I
am holding in my hand. It was most difficult scene of my life. There are
few moments in every actor's life where it's more personal than acting.
The scene started and I was holding my dad's picture and say that he is
dead. After the scene I just broke down and started crying. I was
sitting in a corner and Karan came up to me as he understood what I was
feeling. He just hugged me as he too was missing his dad. He teared up
too; even Rani started crying looking at us. It was too special. Micky
(Contractor) took me for a long drive after that where I told I am in
love with Aishwarya. We were not dating then."
Abhishek is sensitive to criticism. Ravan, he said, was a very tough
film for him both physically and mentally. "Media criticism after the
film was disheartening. I lost my confidence after that. There were
times when I did not want to go home as I used to feel that I am not
worthy of father's name. I am still picking pieces after that. I
understand as public figures we are subjected to public scrutiny. But we
actors are human beings too with real feelings. One doesn't need to be
shown mirror in public on weekly basis."
But this serious side aside, he's a known prankster who loves to
fool around and have fun. "I am free-spirited. I have worked on
different levels of film-making, so I am comfortable with people on set.
I too have lot of inhibitions as an actor. Mingling with others on the
set and having fun helps me manage that," he says, adding that it
bothers him when people think he is not serious about his work because
he is funny.
