Twenty years. We can’t believe that two decades have passed since the release of Refugee, 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.” We spoke to the actor via video chat a few days before he was tested and this is what he had to say:
Twenty years in show business is quite an achievement. What have these years taught you?
To be thankful for the work that you get, to be grateful to the audience for allowing you to be an actor for so long and to work even harder tomorrow to earn that respect and love again.
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 speak to JP Dutta, who directed your debut film, and to Kareena Kapoor Khan, your first co-star, on the day Refugee completed twenty years?
Of course, I spoke to JP Saab. I had a long conversation with him. Maine unse kaha ki main aap ko dhanyawad kehna chahunga ki aapne mujhe aur Bebo ko yeh mauka dia, hamein us layak samjha ke hum aap ki picture ke Refugee aur Nazneen ban paayein --
(I thanked him for giving Kareena and me a chance to become Nazneen and Refugee in his film). I also thanked him for introducing us to what was possibly, if I can speak for Kareena, the best decision we could have made in our lives and that was to become actors.
Three reasons why Breathe: Into The Shadows is a must watch...
It’s a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat entertainer, which has something for everybody and a lot of twists and turns and surprises. It’s perfectly suited for Amazon Prime as an original series. I think people will enjoy the work we have done.
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.
You play a psychiatrist, who himself is going through an emotional turmoil in the series. Was it challenging for you as an actor to do this layered role?
The challenge was to make that turmoil seem believable. This medium does not allow for melodrama. This medium’s requirement is that your emotions and performance have to be as believable and realistic as possible. So sometimes you might try a story which is very complicated but how do you portray that role as believably as possible. What is the emotion a father goes through -- to know that you have to look for your daughter, worry about your daughter’s well being and to do that as believably as possible, I think that was the greatest challenge.
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.
Do you consider your debut in the digital medium a milestone. Is digital the future?
It’s the future, it’s not ‘the’ future. It’s going to be part of the future. It’s interesting that you asked it. First, there was theatre, then came cinema, no one thought theatre was going to die. After cinema came television, no one thought cinema was going to die. Today, the theatre scene is thriving in Mumbai. All over India too, theatre is still highly patronised by people. So is cinema, so is television. This is yet another medium that has come. It helps us as creative people to reach out to our audience. That’s it. It is the future because it is the latest technology available. But is it ‘the’ future means baaki sab pichhe chhut jayega? No. I think it will all co-exist. And how wonderful.
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.
You were one of the first celebs who stepped out of the house and gave the message that now we should come out of the house for work...
I had to step out as I had to dub. Thankfully, all the precautions and permissions were taken. I think that’s more important. People should be educated about the fact that it’s alright to move out provided you take all the precautions, in line with what the government has said. People have become too lax. They behave as if there’s nothing to worry about. I told the paparazzi that came to our dubbing to first wear the mask, and even better, wear a helmet. Another thing is that they ride three people to a bike. I asked them to stop doing that in these times. The police might catch them and throw them in jail. What’ll they do then? They might get into trouble if they don’t follow the rules. I feel everybody has to be a responsible citizen.
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.
Which is one memory from the lockdown you will always remember?
There are so many ya. It’s difficult to choose just one. But one thing you should understand that for a country of 1.3 billion people to successfully lockdown to whatever possible degree, I think is commendable. You should look at the positives. I don’t want to look at the negatives.
Twenty years in show business is quite an achievement. What have these years taught you?
To be thankful for the work that you get, to be grateful to the audience for allowing you to be an actor for so long and to work even harder tomorrow to earn that respect and love again.
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 speak to JP Dutta, who directed your debut film, and to Kareena Kapoor Khan, your first co-star, on the day Refugee completed twenty years?
Of course, I spoke to JP Saab. I had a long conversation with him. Maine unse kaha ki main aap ko dhanyawad kehna chahunga ki aapne mujhe aur Bebo ko yeh mauka dia, hamein us layak samjha ke hum aap ki picture ke Refugee aur Nazneen ban paayein --
(I thanked him for giving Kareena and me a chance to become Nazneen and Refugee in his film). I also thanked him for introducing us to what was possibly, if I can speak for Kareena, the best decision we could have made in our lives and that was to become actors.
Three reasons why Breathe: Into The Shadows is a must watch...
It’s a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat entertainer, which has something for everybody and a lot of twists and turns and surprises. It’s perfectly suited for Amazon Prime as an original series. I think people will enjoy the work we have done.
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.
You play a psychiatrist, who himself is going through an emotional turmoil in the series. Was it challenging for you as an actor to do this layered role?
The challenge was to make that turmoil seem believable. This medium does not allow for melodrama. This medium’s requirement is that your emotions and performance have to be as believable and realistic as possible. So sometimes you might try a story which is very complicated but how do you portray that role as believably as possible. What is the emotion a father goes through -- to know that you have to look for your daughter, worry about your daughter’s well being and to do that as believably as possible, I think that was the greatest challenge.
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.
Do you consider your debut in the digital medium a milestone. Is digital the future?
It’s the future, it’s not ‘the’ future. It’s going to be part of the future. It’s interesting that you asked it. First, there was theatre, then came cinema, no one thought theatre was going to die. After cinema came television, no one thought cinema was going to die. Today, the theatre scene is thriving in Mumbai. All over India too, theatre is still highly patronised by people. So is cinema, so is television. This is yet another medium that has come. It helps us as creative people to reach out to our audience. That’s it. It is the future because it is the latest technology available. But is it ‘the’ future means baaki sab pichhe chhut jayega? No. I think it will all co-exist. And how wonderful.
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.
You were one of the first celebs who stepped out of the house and gave the message that now we should come out of the house for work...
I had to step out as I had to dub. Thankfully, all the precautions and permissions were taken. I think that’s more important. People should be educated about the fact that it’s alright to move out provided you take all the precautions, in line with what the government has said. People have become too lax. They behave as if there’s nothing to worry about. I told the paparazzi that came to our dubbing to first wear the mask, and even better, wear a helmet. Another thing is that they ride three people to a bike. I asked them to stop doing that in these times. The police might catch them and throw them in jail. What’ll they do then? They might get into trouble if they don’t follow the rules. I feel everybody has to be a responsible citizen.
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.
Which is one memory from the lockdown you will always remember?
There are so many ya. It’s difficult to choose just one. But one thing you should understand that for a country of 1.3 billion people to successfully lockdown to whatever possible degree, I think is commendable. You should look at the positives. I don’t want to look at the negatives.
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