I wish I could learn new things, but there's no time: Amitabh Bachchan

I don't know if it was a strange coincidence, but on my way to meet Amitabh Bachchan at his swanky office in Juhu, I passed more than two billboards of the actor endorsing different products. I wondered how despite an avalanche of new and young faces, Big B is still one of the most sought-after names in the advertising and film industry. I meet him and am told that he's wrapping up the shoot of yet another product endorsement. Dressed in his favourite jacket that has the words 'Russia' written on it, he finally meets me to talk about his upcoming film Shamitabh, where he teams up with R Balki to complete a hat-trick (Cheeni Kum and Paa) and also tells me what he admires in the current lot of the young actors. Excerpts from our chat... 

A lot of actors say they find film promotions very tiring, do you feel the same? 
It is tiring, but it is now an accepted norm, so we just go along with it. I think, professionally, it is something that has become part of every film we do. Somewhere, they feel that promotions help the final outcome of the film. So here we are! 

What marked differences have you seen in Balki from Cheeni Kum to Paa to Shamitabh?  
He's somebody that has always thought differently. He has a different kind of mind, he has all very unique ideas. None of his stories have any kind of similarity. I think it is very interesting for an actor to be interacting with somebody or to be working with somebody who keeps inventing new ideas. You are always attracted to something that is different as it tests and challenges you to a certain extent. But that's how he is and Shamitabh is no different from any other of his enterprises. It is yet again another very unique story and one I feel that Indian cinema has not seen before. 

 Also, the title would be the first time your name is referenced in a film title...  
Yes, I guess that's true. But it's not just there for the sake of my name, it is there for a certain reason which is there in the script.  
 
You have worked with Akshara's mom and dad, do you see any glimpses of them in her performance?  
I think we should respect some of their individualities. Genetically, obviously, they will carry a lot from their parents, but I think so far, I haven't seen any. We will have to give it more time. This is Akshara's first film and she is being guided by Balki. But gradually, as she goes along, she will develop her own attitude and style.  
 
The promo for Shamitabh is quite unique and has people speculating about its plot, how involved were you in putting out the first look of the film?  
This is all Balki's doing. We have a relationship where we discuss almost everyday. If there's something troubling me, I call him up, if there is something he wants to run through me, he will call me up. I think it's a very healthy combination, but eventually of course, it's the director's call. I mean even if I were to disagree, I would respect his call as the final one.  
 
You recently won 'Social Media Personality of the Year', you also have the maximum number of followers on Twitter, have you ever tried to understand how this has happened? 
I don't. I am just happy that it has happened. I keep putting out my blog and there are a few regulars that I keep talking to. It is very difficult for me to go through everyone's tweets, but I try as much as I can. All they want is a hi and a hello and to be noticed. It's the least that we can do.  
 
What are the sort of reactions you are getting for Shweta's column in DNA After Hrs? 
She's always been a very good writer. She has a lot of hidden talents which she's never put out to the public. But I am really happy that she does this column. It has a style and is very different. Lot of people say many nice things to her after reading it which is a moment of great pride for the father. 
 
Has blogging become an instrinsic part of your daily schedule now?  
Yes, I write everyday. I need to do it. I think it's better to say that if you don't write, then you get hit on the head by the people who are following asking, 'Where the hell are you? Why haven't you blogged?'. Many times it happens. Sometimes I forget to press the 'post' button and my phone is filled with mails saying 'Mr Bachchan, you have forgotten to press the 'post' button, the blog is not out. Where are you? Are you okay?' My blog is like my extended family.  
 
What is the one lesson that you have learnt from working with youngsters?  
I am in great admiration of the new generation. They are very spontaneous, they are very determined, very aggressive, know exactly what they want and know how to get there. They are also very brave and a million times more better than what we were at that age. I am so happy and fortunate that I get to work in projects with them despite the very large age difference. But it's a great learning for me, I love to be in  their company to see how they work, to learn from them. It is a very exciting time for Indian cinema and the amount of talent that comes out every Friday is amazing and it can only bode well for all of us.  
 
Do you agree with the fact that there is a director hidden inside every actor and it is only a matter of time before he comes out? 
I don't know direction. Sometimes when you are enacting a sequence you may want to give your own input on how you want to say it, they way you want to move, what you want to do, sit, stand, run, cry, laugh. These are some things that are individual in an actor and it is what he has thought to be the correct interpretation of the script or dialogue that has been given to him. But as I said, the director is the ultimate authority and he will have to decide and it will become my imperative duty to obey him. He is the captain of the ship. I really don't know how to put together a scene, there stuff enough to do in front of the camera and say your lines, but to be able to direct is tough.  
 
You are constantly reading and learning about new things, is there anything you plan to learn this year? 
 I wish I could, but there's no time. Technology changes every five minutes so one tries to keep up with it and you feel left behind in the race if you are not up-to-date. There are so many things, if you could learn how to sing or play an instrument, piano or a language perhaps. These are all interesting things.  
 
What is your barometer of success? Is it Rs500 crore, your satisfaction as a performer or the audience feedback on social media .. 
I think somewhere a bit of everything has to come into your thinking. For me, primarily, I hope that people like me in what they see me enact and if that comes true, it's a great satisfaction. At the same time, your next job will depend upon box-office success so that is an area of concern. What people think of you also comes through the box-office and then of course, the critics and what they say is all welcome. It is part of the profession.  
 
The promo of Shamitabh shows your character dealing with a certain sort of frustration.. 
Yes, he's an old, frustrated almost lost kind of an individual who has made efforts early on and perhaps failed. He's reeking of failure and disgust. But there is some quality in him that can be useful for the other character played by Dhanush and vice versa , and how these two come together through the journalist, played by Akshara, how they move forward, become successful and grow in life is what the story is all about. 
 
That makes me ask you... in a recent conversation, Deepika spoke about how she battled depression, did you ever face such a phase ?  
I don't know the extent of what Deepika has said. But I think it's very honest and daring of her to talk about it not so much to gain it for herself, but to make people aware of it. Awareness is a huge factor in most illnesses. I work for diabetes and tuberculosis, and will be working for hepatitis, and they are all very prominent diseases, many of them people are unaware of how to avoid it, or at times are even unaware that they are affected by it. If I am going to be talking about a particular disease and know enough about it, I would definitely do it. We did that with polio, worked for eight years and finally India is today polio-free. I am not saying that we don't go through phases where you are depressed or frustrated. All of us go through it, but we try and find a way out. 
 
Would you consider investing 12 years of your life into making a movie like Richard Linklater did, with Boyhood?  
Anybody wanting to do that now with me would be stupid because I probably won't be alive by then! But it's a great creative effort and it is very remarkable how somebody can have the patience to wait for a kid to grow for 12 years and continue to make this film. I think it is fantastic.  

 Monday morning after Shamitabh releases, what will bring a smile on your face the most?  
Appreciation of the film is always vital. Box-office collections make a lot of difference. It provides some kind of continuity in your career, but sometimes just the appreciation of your work is enough.