The pressures of being Amitabh Bachchan's son must be immense, but in the ten years that Abhishek Bachchan has been a part of the Hindi film industry, he has never complained.
With his latest film Paa, both the Bachchans bring the father-son relationship alive on screen, albeit with a twist.
The 33-year-old actor has slowly won his own place under the Bollywood sun, and spoke about the time he thought he wouldn't make it as an actor, what director Mani Ratnam means to him, and of course Paa.
The fact that you are playing your father's father in Paa is unique in itself, but you are also playing a young politician in the film. That's also unusual, isn't it?
I was very excited when (director) Balki told me that he wanted to make my character a politician, because I was very keen to show a politician in good light. Unfortunately, we typecast politicians in our films and there is a cliché of a politician who wears a Nehru cap, wears a sadra, chews paan and is corrupt. I wanted to show that there are politicians who are forward thinking and can do good things. Amol Arte is not corrupt. He is a good guy, and I think everyone's faith in politicians will be reinstalled after this film.
This is also a movie that has quite a radical subject, doesn't it?
Well, for starters, the film isn't about Progeria. That is just a background. Progeria was a second thought, and I don't mean that with any disrespect. Balki came up with the idea that he wanted me to play my father's father, and we set about looking for a plausible reason to do that. How do you have me and my father in the same frame and make it look believable? That's when Balki came upon Progeria, which is a very unfortunate disease where the human body ages much faster than it is supposed to. People with Progeria have a very distinct look, so the make-up was right there. We did take a few creative liberties. But the film is not about Progeria and nor does it show the tragic life of a Progeria victim. It's a happy film, and you will definitely leave the theatre with a smile on your face. It's a film about a father and a son.
Bollywood hasn't really moved to making films that have radical subjects. Do you think Paa is that film?
I think our films are fantastic and I don't know why the word ''masala film'' is looked down upon. I dare anyone to come and make a masala film here — it is very tough. I think our genre of films is unique, and every week we come up with something good. "I don't think Paa is a radical film. At the heart of it, it is an emotional, sweet film. I don't look at it as radical just because our lead artiste has got a new look.
Was it tough for you to watch your father go through hours of prosthetic makeup, something that even your father has admitted was tough.
Both yes and no. Yes, because he is your father and you know he shouldn't have it so tough at this stage of his career, when he should be kicking back his feet and relaxing. But as a professional you understand that, and you appreciate it that he is still sitting there for five hours, patiently, waiting for his makeup to get done.
What motivates him to do such roles, at a stage in his life, when as you said, he should be kicking back his feet and relaxing?
If I knew the answer to that, I would be doing the same thing. But I think it is just the love for what he does. I know that if he sits at home for over a day, he gets restless. I just think he loves doing what he does. I don't know how he does it. Till date, he is up at 5:30am, he is in the gym, he'll go to work, he does everything. He's Superman. What happens is that when you get a movie like Paa and a character like Auro, that drives you also.
You have said earlier that you were very excited to play this role, but what about your father? Did he have any apprehensions?
The only apprehension he had was about the character. How were we going to make it believable? It is very easy, when you have a subject as unique as this, to become gimmicky about it. He didn't want to the audience to think that. His look and him playing a 13-year-old has gone down really well with everyone.
Was it tough for you to carry him on your back?
No! He is not as heavy as everyone thinks he is (laughs). But he has carried me on his back his entire life, so it was time I returned the favour.
Was it weird for you to feel fatherly towards your own father?
Not really. We are actors, and we know that when the camera is rolling, all relationships go out of the window. You have to make that demarcation. You can use a real-life relationship to your advantage because there is a comfort level. But as an actor I can't be thinking ''oh, he is my father, and I am playing his father''. That just messes with your head. It is better to switch off.
What do you hope for from this film?
I haven't made Paa for any commercial gains. Paa is produced by my family company which is AB Corp, and is our first production after many years, after all the trouble that we went through. My only expectation is that I hope my father is proud of me when he sees the film. I have come on board as producer of the film as well, so I want him to be happy and proud of me. It might sound selfish, but it is his company and he has done a fantastic job, so I want him to be happy.
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