‘Abhishek Has Gone Through A Lot’

‘It’s
a
tremendous
accomplishment
to
have
a
father
like
Amitabh
Bachchan
and
still
be
so
sorted,
to
not
taste
the
kind
of
success
that
he
should
have
and
yet
be
so
balanced.’

Like


Kareena
Kapoor,
Abhishek
Bachchan
celebrates
his
25th
year
in
showbiz
too.

Writer-film-maker

R
Balki
has
worked
both
father
and
son
in

Paa,
directed
Amitabh
Bachchan
in

Shamitabh
and
Abhishek
in

Ghoomer,
all
three
films
co-produced
by
Junior
Bachchan.

In
a
conversation
with


Rediff
Senior
Contributor

Roshmila
Bhattacharya,
the
director
rewinds
to
their
first
meeting
and
explains
why
he
wanted
to
reverse
the
equation
on
screen.

“I
always
wanted
to
see
Amitabh
Bachchan
as
a
child
because
he
is
one.
At
82,
he
is
a
sometimes
sulky,
sometimes
funny
child,
always
endearing,
who
for
all
his
gravitas,
always
makes
me
smile
and
laugh.
Abhishek
is
the
adult
in
a
lot
of
ways,”
he
says.

Let’s
flashback
to
your
first
meeting
with
Abhishek.

During
the

Cheeni
Kum
(his
2007
directorial
debut)
promotions,
I
met
Amitabh
Bachchan,
who
was
having
a
conversation
with
Abhishek.
Abhishek
was
saying
something
serious
and
Amitji
was
pulling
his
leg.

Looking
at
them,
I
wondered
who
was
the
dad
and
who
was
the
young
one.

It
was
at
that
moment
that
I
decided
that
whenever
I
made
a
film
with
them,
I
would
need
to
find
a
way
to
reverse
the
conventional
father-son
equation.

Maybe
the
idea
of
doing
a
film
on
progeria
came
from
that
thought.

A
rare
genetic
condition,
it
makes
a
12-year-old
child
look
five
times
older,
and
I
could
project
Amitji
as
a
brat
with
Abhishek
as
Auro’s
mature
dad.

That’s
how
I
saw
them
during
that
first
interaction
and
the
impression
hasn’t
changed.

Abhishek
not
only
acted
in

Paa,
but
was
also
one
of
the
film’s
producers.
What’s
he
like
as
a
producer?

He
is
not
an
interfering
producer
or
one
plotting
on
how
to
make
money
from
the
film.

Both
of
us
are
fools
in
a
lot
of
ways.
Would
you
believe
that
someone
wanted
to
buy

Paa,
but
Abhishek
refused
the
offer,
saying
we
would
distribute
the
film
in
our
way?

He
could
have
made
a
lot
of
money
had
he
sold
the
film,
but
that’s
the
way
he
is.
When
he
supports
something,
he
does
it
from
the
heart.

Interestingly,
while
Abhishek
always
believed
in

Paa
as
a
producer,
he
didn’t
want
to
act
in
the
film
with
his
dad.

(Chuckles)
I
don’t
think
Amitabh
Bachchan
has
ever
chased
an
actor
the
way
he
chased
Abhishek
Bachchan
for

Paa.

I
too
have
never
chased
an
actor
as
much
as
Abhishek.

For
six
months,
we
tried
to
convince
him
to
play
Amol
Arte,
but
Abhishek
kept
saying
no.

So
how
did
you
get
him
on
board?

One
day
I
just
told
him,
‘Listen,
forget
that
it
is
a
complex
and
challenging
role,
just
do
the
film
for
my
sake.’

I
added
that
I
was
not
asking
him
for
his
dates,
simply
asking
him
20
days
from
your
life.

He
was
taken
aback
and
didn’t
know
what
to
say.

It
was
because
of
that
unusual
request
that
he
gave
in
and
did
the
film.

Given
your
long
association
with
them,
do
you
notice
any
similarities
between
the
two
Bachchans?

None.
Abhishek
Bachchan
is
a
completely
different
actor
from
Amitabh
Bachchan.

Even
as
a
person,
they
are
very
different.

Both
are
very
caring
in
a
lot
of
ways.

But
Abhishek
has
gone
through
a
lot
and
that
has
made
him
richer,
both
as
a
person
and
an
actor.

Paa
was
a
journey
unlike
any
we
had
seen
in
Hindi
cinema
before.
It’s
obvious
that
you
believed
in
the
film,
but
weren’t
you
apprehensive
about
taking
on
more
than
you
could
chew?

If
I
had
thought
along
those
lines,
I
would
have
never
made
the
film.

The
moment
you
start
strategising
what
will
work,
what
the
masses
want,
doubts
start
creeping
in.

I
don’t
understand
myself,
so
how
can
I
pretend
to
understand
the
audience?

We
went
into

Paa
without
any
thought
even
on
how
we
were
going
to
execute
what
was
on
paper.

Amitabh
Bachchan
also
didn’t
ask
any
questions,
he
just
went
with
the
project
on
pure
belief,
maybe
not
even
that.

In
retrospect,
I
realise
that
if
P
C
Sriram
(cinematographer)
had
not
used
a
wide-angle
lens
during
a
test
shoot
with
Amitji,
we
would
never
have
been
able
to
shoot
the
film
because
there
were
no
visual
effects
back
then.

Even
for
Auro’s
look,
we
just
had
some
references
of
people
with
progeria.
Dominie
Till
and
Christian
Tinsley
came
from
Los
Angele
and
made
the
look
happen.

Paa
picked
up
four
National
Film
Awards,
for
Best
Actor
(Amitabh
Bachchan),
Best
Supporting
Actress
(Arundathi
Nag),
Best
Make-up
(Dominie
Till
and
Christien
Tinsley)
and
Best
Feature
Film
in
Hindi.
That
must
have
been
a
high
given
the
challenges
of
the
project?

I
don’t
believe
in
any
award;
I
was
just
glad
that
we
had
managed
to
pull
it
off.

I
always
wanted
to
see
Amitabh
Bachchan
as
a
child
because
he
is
one.

At
82,
he
is
a
sometimes
sulky,
sometimes
funny
child,
always
endearing,
who
for
all
his
gravitas,
always
makes
me
smile
and
laugh.

Abhishek
is
the
adult
in
a
lot
of
ways.

Before

Paa,
you
directed
Abhishek
in
a
few
ads
too..

Yes,
we
collaborated
on
the
first
Maruti
Versa
ad,
followed
by
the
Idea
campaign.

At
that
point,
Abhishek
was
one
of
those
rare
celebrities
in
advertising
who
endorsed
just
one
brand.

There
may
have
been
a
few
other
ads,
but
nothing
really
significant.

He
chose
Idea
and
remained
its
brand
ambassador
for
years.

That
says
a
lot
for
the
person
he
is.

As
a
professional,
he
possibly
has
one
of
the
finest
minds
in
the
film
industry,
with
a
superb
sense
of
cinema
and
an
understanding
of
the
bigness
of
advertising.

Always
curious,
there
is
so
much
that
interests
him
and
right
from
the
briefing,
we
jammed
a
lot.

Abhishek
loves
new
ideas,
is
eager
to
learn
and
knows
a
lot.

I’m
not
talking
of
just
knowledge
here,
but
an
emotional
maturity
of
a
different
order.

Can
you
elaborate
on
that?

Well,
it’s
a
tremendous
accomplishment
to
have
a
father
like
Amitabh
Bachchan
and
still
be
so
sorted,
to
not
taste
the
kind
of
success
that
he
should
have
and
yet
be
so
balanced.

More
than
just
a
gifted
actor,
Abhishek
is
also
a
gifted
human
being.

I
love
Amitabh
Bachchan;
I’m
a
huge
fan.

And
I
respect
Abhishek
Bachchan.

I’m
fond
of
him,
and
I
also
look
up
to
him.

After

Paa,
Abhishek
also
produced

Shamitabh
and

Ghoomer.
Did
he
contribute
to
the
creative
process
in
these
films
too?

Shamitabh
started
out
as
an
ode
to
Amitabh
Bachchan’s
voice.

Abhishek
was
not
a
part
of
the
cast,
so
he
was
hardly
involved.

But
in

Paa,
he
contributed
a
lot;
the
idea
for
his
costumes
came
from
him.

He
decided
to
model
his
look
on
his
politician
friend
Sachin
Pilot.

I
wrote
the
dialogue
in

Ghoomer,
‘Loser

kya
feel

hota
mujhe
pata
hai‘
after
jamming
with
him.

Everybody
knows
how
a
winner
feels,
but
for
a
loser,
there’s
no
logic,
it’s
just
the
magic
which
is
not
happening.

Abhishek
is
extremely
sensitive
and

Ghoomer
came
from
the
depths
of
that
sensitivity.

From

Paa
to

Ghoomer,
have
you
noticed
any
changes
in
him
as
an
actor
and
a
person?

For
me,
he’s
not
any
different
from
the
Abhishek
I
met
that
first
day.

Maybe
there
is
a
little
less
leg
pulling
now,
though
he
still
rags
people.

At
the
same
time,
he
is
always
so
mature,
sensitive
and
caring.

A
lot
of
sensitive
people
think
only
about
themselves,
they
don’t
exhibit
the
same
sensitivity
towards
others,
but
the
reverse
is
true
for
Abhishek.

He
knew
Saiyami
(Kher)
had
a
really
difficult
role.

She
plays
Anina
Dixit
aka
Ani,
a
batting
prodigy
who
loses
her
right
hand
in
a
freak
accident
and
now,
the
only
way
she
can
make
it
to
the
Indian
women’s
cricket
team
is
to
become
a
bowler
and
adopt
the
unconventional
technique
of
spin
bowling
Abhishek’s
Padam
Singh
Sodhi
aka
Paddy,
a
failed
cricketer
and
now
her
coach,
is
forcing
on
her.

The
kind
of
support
Abhishek
gave
her
was
unbelievable.
He
treated
her
like
a
younger
sister.

Is
he
a
good
cricketer
in
real
life
too?

I
would
say
he
is
a
better
footballer,
but
he
loves
cricket.

He
loves
all
sport
and
can
do
anything
for
any
sport.

Apart
from
films
and
sport,
what
are
his
other
passions?

He
loves
food
though
now
he
doesn’t
indulge
in
it.

(Laughs)
I
keep
telling
him,
‘Why
do
you
want
to
sacrifice
passion
for
vanity?’

Apart
from
food,
he
enjoys
stimulating
conversation,
watching
different
things
and
reading.

How
would
you
evaluate
him
as
an
actor?

I
love
Abhishek
as
an
actor,
I
think
he
is
one
of
the
most
contemporary
actors
we
have.

Unfortunately,
while
we
celebrate
them
in
Hollywood,
back
home,
we
don’t
write
scripts
for
actors
who
stand
apart
from
the
rest.

Our
cinema
is
so
different
that
sometimes
talents
like
Abhishek
don’t
get
their
due
recognition
because
the
kind
of
roles
they
need
to
shine
are
not
available
to
them.

I
keep
telling
him
that
he
should
do
films
with
urban
themes.

There
is
a
huge
audience
for
them
today
and
there
are
not
too
many
better
actors
than
Abhishek,
who
is
so
modern
in
his
thinking
and
approach.

He
can
say
so
much
with
one
little
expression.

Which
are
some
of
the
performances
that
have
stayed
with
you
over
these
25
years?

I
can’t
believe
it
has
been
25
years
since
Abhishek
started
acting.
To
me,
he
is
still
the
same
boy.

He
has
given
some
really
wonderful
performances.

From
my
own
films,
I
would
pick

Paa
and

Ghoomer.

Mani
Ratnam’s

Yuva
is
beautiful.
His
hired
goon,
Lallan
Singh,
is
so
raw
and
edgy.

I
like
the
assassin
of

Bob
Biswas
very
much.

Manmarziyaan
and

Kabhi
Alvida
Naa
Kehna
are
very
nice.

He
is
so
cool
in

Delhi
6.

Ram
Gopal
Varma’s

Sarkar
and
even
the
first
20
mins
of
his

Naach
absolutely
blew
my
mind.

After
that,
the
film
went
somewhere
else
but
Abhishek,
in
a
role
which
was
not
so
well-defined,
was
understated
and
captured
the
nuances
of
his
character,
Abhinav,
also
an
actor,
so
beautifully.

It’s
interesting
that
you
should
pick

Naach.
After
over
two
decades,
not
too
many
people
remember
that
film. 
 

There
are
many
more
films
and
performances.

Abhishek
has
superb
comic
timing
in
films
like

Dostana,
Bunty
Aur
Babli
and

Bol
Bachchan.

I
love
him
in
Rohan
Sippy’s
crime
comedy,

Bluffmaster.

More
recently,
I
liked
him
in
Anurag
Basu’s

Ludo
and
Shoojit
Sircar’s
film,

I
Want
To
Talk,
which
is
an
interesting
experiment.

If
you
were
to
make
a
film
with
Abhishek
today,
what
would
it
be?

It
will
have
to
be
something
really
special
that
comes
from
deep
in
the
heart.

(After
a
thoughtful
pause)
Maybe
I
will
make
an
out-and-out
comedy
with
him
now.

Ghoomer
in
many
ways
was
a
satirical
comedy.

Finally,
in
his
silver
jubilee
year,
what
would
you
like
to
say
about
him?

Abhishek
Bachchan’s
time
is
coming.