Raavan didn’t make any headway at the box office but Abhishek Bachchan has moved on. He’s not one to hold grudges or harbour regret, “It has been a busy and eventful year for me, I got the opportunity to do wonderful films. I like doing a variety of roles and what is important is that directors think I am capable of that variety when they approach me. Fortunately for me, every film I have done is different from the last. I need to learn to push my creativity, it gives me the confidence to experiment. I’ve always dreamt of being an actor and today I’m there.”
Post marriage to one of the most beautiful women in the world, he’s done two films with the Mrs but the couple are in no hurry to sign films together. “We’re not a package deal,” he says, “Aishwarya is an individual. She has some very good films to her credit. I think she’s one of the best actresses in the film industry and her work speaks for itself. I’m proud of her and her accomplishments. It’s not that we don’t want to work together, but we are not eager to sign unless something interesting comes up. We will do a film because we believe in the director, script and the characters. That is what comes first, not whom we are paired opposite.” he states firmly.
Fifty films old, Abhishek Bachchan looks back on the hits and misses of his near decade in the industry, “I’ve learnt a lot these last 10 years. Earlier I took films as they came, but now I’m hungry to learn more. It’s a never ending process. I’m still learning my strengths and weaknesses. The only person with whom I have to compete is me. It is important to improve upon every performance,” he adds.
In the forthcoming Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, he introduces revolutionary Surja Sen to those, like him, who were unaware of this inspiring character. “History was one of my favourite subjects in school but since I was sent to boarding school in Europe when I was eight or nine years old, I learnt more European history. It was only when Ashu offered me the role that I came to know about the Chittagong uprising and that it was based in Bengal. I discussed it with my mother and she said, ‘It’s a responsible role so you better be good at it’,” he smiles.
It was difficult to play the role, reveals Abhishek, “Surja da was a man with a multifaceted personality. By day, he taught the principles of life and he was a revolutionary by night. He balanced his character with such dynamism. He was calm and serene, never aggressive or vocal. Whenever we did the revolutionary portion of scenes I used to get carried away and use my hands a lot and Ashu would remind me to tone it down saying that Surja was never loud.”
The film, he says, has awakened a patriotic sense in him, “Especially when we were dressed on the sets and we unfurled the national flag. It brought tears to my eyes. I realised what it must have been when they really did that during those times.”