Abhishek Bachchan: ‘Grew up in a house where father gave 17 golden jubilees’

“I grew up in a household where the father gave seventeen golden jubilees in a row, four of them in a month, or three were already playing and three were about to be released.

“After my first film that was declared a hit, Dhoom, Adi (Aditya) Chopra had this big success party. I remember coming home, feeling I’ve arrived, and my dad opened the door. I got deflated – it was Amitabh Bachchan,” Abhishek told PTI in an interview.

No matter how many hits or failures an actor delivers, the 47-year-old star believes it is important to give the best shot to a project and then look forward to the next one.

“Any actor would tell you that it’s the most amazing feeling when your film becomes a hit. You know though it isn’t going to last, it’s done, now you have to concentrate on the next Friday.

“We work to make successful films, you’re not here to make a flop film. It should never be like, ‘I’ve given so many hits in a row.’ No, you’re meant to do it with every film,” the actor said.

His upcoming film is Ghoomer, which reunites him with filmmaker R Balki, the director of Abhishek’s 2009 movie Paa that also featured his father.

The film is Abhishek Bachchan‘s first theatrical release in five years. His last few films like Ludo, The Big Bull and Dasvi released on digital platforms and he also made his series debut with Breathe: Into the Shadows.

“There’s no difference (between OTT and theatrical). It’s your labour of love. You’ve made a film and it’s up for judgment from the audience. For a web series or movie, the feeling is exactly the same.

“The way you get the information of the audience is slightly different, but it’s still about the audience,” Abhishek said.

In Ghoomer, the actor plays the coach to Saiyami Kher, who loses her hand in an accident but decides to continue playing cricket.
Also starring Amitabh Bachchan and Shabana Azmi, the film releases on Friday.

Asked about the reason for frequently working with Amitabh Bachchan, director Balki said he will never stop casting the megastar in his films.

“Coming up with an idea for Amitabh Bachchan isn’t difficult. It’s up to him to say yes or no. I dread the day he says, ‘No, it’s enough.’ I hope that never happens. From my side, the effort will never stop. It’s just about him saying yes,” Balki said.