Abhishek Bachchan
Actor Abhishek Bachchan says it is challenging to publicly deal with failures, but as an artiste he has learnt to look at both ups and downs as “moments of learning”. Bachchan, who makes his movie debut with JP Dutta’s “Refugee” in 2000, recently completed 20 years in the Hindi film industry. Over the years, the actor has gone through phases of consecutive hits as well as crushing lows.
While some of his script choices earned him acclaim and box office validation — “Dhoom” series, “Yuva” and “Guru”– there were also films that did not do well. “Everyone enjoys victory, but when your most difficult times are public, it’s demanding and challenging to deal with. You’ve to eventually move on… But they both are equally difficult,” the 44-year-old actor told PTI.
“At the risk of sounding pompous, I’ve been in both the situations. I’ve seen the huge success, seen the film’s that haven’t done well. I have felt the love and adulation, I have also experienced the indifference. You’ve to deal with both equally. You’ve to look at them as moments of learning.”
The actor said the extensive public attention on his highs and lows has been his “normal.”
As someone who has spent most of his adult life under the spotlight, a by-product of acting, Bachchan said he doesn’t know “what it’s like to not have a public victory or failure.”
“When that’s the only option you have, that becomes your normal. So you live with it and aim to only do good work.”
The actor said he has realised that a person’s handling of a testing situation eventually comes down to what one wants from life.
“I am not here to be a star, I am here to be a good actor. That’s my priority and goal. I want to make movies that my audience will love and enjoy…
“Once that’s there, the glamour and the glitz doesn’t matter. That is a by-product of what you do. It can’t be the reason to do what you’re doing. Your goal as an actor can’t be to walk the red carpet. Your reason should be able to make a great film.”
This year marked several firsts for Bachchan as he made his streaming debut with the Amazon Prime Video series “Breathe: Into The Shadows”. His film, “Ludo” also had a digital release on Netflix.
Bachchan said the love he has received for the two projects has put a “huge smile” on his face and validated his efforts.
“All the love is encouraging and an endorsement that I’m doing the right thing and doing it well. That is the greatest takeaway for an actor. I’ve been here for 20 years, I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs.
“Just the fact that today you get the opportunity to do what you love doing, it’s a huge blessing. You have to be aware of that and not take it for granted,” he added.
The actor’s next film is the crime thriller “Bob Biswas”.
