‘Buddies’ with the Bachchans... that’s Taapsee
Having worked with Amitabh Bachchan in Pink (2016) and shooting with him for Badla again this year, actor Taapsee Pannu says that she had a couple of déjà vu moments when she was working with Abhishek Bachchan in Manmarziyaan.
“Abhishek’s mannerisms, posture, body language, and baritone are quite similar to his father’s. [But] Amitabh sir and Abhishek are very different actors; their approach towards performances is quite different,” says Taapsee. “I remember messaging Amitabh sir out of the blue while shooting, because I saw Abhishek sitting in the exact same posture as Amitabh sir and I couldn’t stop myself from texting him,” she adds, laughing.
Reminiscing about the days of shooting with the veteran actor during Pink, Taapsee says that time now feels surreal. “When you’re working with him for the first time, you’re mostly observing him to understand his method and how to be ‘around Amitabh Bachchan’. I didn’t want to violate any protocols. But he’s cool and never makes anybody feel like he is ‘the Amitabh Bachchan’. By the end of Pink, we shared a buddy vibe. Now, when I meet him, I can high-five and fist-bump with him. We can pick on each other and pull each other’s leg,” she says.
The actor adds that she shares a “cool rapport” with Abhishek. “Because I had worked with Amitabh sir, I had met Abhishek a couple of times, so we both had a fair idea about each other. The equation I share with Amitabh sir and the kind of person I am, overall, helped ease things with Abhishek. He’s quite chilled out and has a great, sarcastic sense of humour, just like me — we connected over that. Also, if he likes something, he conveys it and doesn’t hold back,” says Taapsee.
She finds Bachchan Sr quite an inspiration and says she learned a lot while working with him. “I learned that even at his age, although there might be limitations related to health, he’s working round the clock. He is finding time for acting, for fans, for blogging, endorsements and events. You need to have a strong driving force to be able to do that at his age,” says Taapsee. “If I have even 50% of that energy when I’m at his age, I’d be happy. Seeing him work like this at his age is unreal. I admire his drive and passion, and the way he gives so much of himself to his work. He’s doing good work and people are still writing roles for him,” the actor says, adding that she now wants to work with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan as well.