Q&A WITH ABHISHEK BACHCHAN
Abhishek Bachchan on his OTT debut, two decades in cinema and doing the work he desires
Q. Your father made his digital debut on Amazon Prime. A month later, you follow on the same platform. Was this planned?
I had committed to my project in 2018. I discussed Gulabo Sitabo’s digital release—to not interrupt the flow of entertainment—with him as soon as the lockdown happened. Part of what we do as actors is to entertain and our medium is cinema, which is currently facing uncertainty. Here we have a medium which will reach out to, possibly, more people, so why not use it? Once you sit down and think it out, it makes sense.
Q. Twelve episodes of 50 minutes each. Is Breathe: Into the Shadows the longest you have spent with a character?
I was clocking with great detail the hours I would spend playing Avinash Sabharwal, who had a stiff competition in Dhoom’s Jai Dixit. I wanted to beat that. In films, you don’t get to really delve into the intricacies of the character. With Breathe, I was given the time to nurse the character.
Q. You had a small hiatus before Manmarziyaan and since then have signed a series of projects. What changed?
I had become comfortable with the idea that delivering a success was not on me. But how long can one do this before a producer thinks you are dispensable? It sounds brash, but I’m also not here to stand behind someone else. [With Manmarziyaan] I started going for work which felt fulfilling.
Q. Twenty years in cinema. There have been highs and lows, fans and trolls. What has been your biggest lesson?
That there are only fans and no trolls. If somebody is dedicating the time to write to you or talk about you, in some way, you matter to them. I would much rather have people give me an opportunity to turn their opinion about me than ignore me.