Some people are just extremely easy to speak with a big button is one of the best conversationalist I've had on the runway show despite being at that level of Fame spoke about his relationships with his family his experiences with his dad is learnings from his dad. He's learning from life in general his own career outside of films as well. He spoke about what he loved about his acting career, but he's also spoken about his startup Investments something that a lot of people don't know about his recent release the big bull was
Italy acclaimed Abhishek bachchan's performance was loved by the masses and this is a wishing Bachchan like you've never seen before. I feel like he exposed pieces of himself that he's not exposed on the Internet or in the media world, and I'm glad he did that on there and we show was a pleasure speaking to this man and I'm going to let you guys enjoy I'm shaking but another and we show from your on.
Mr. Abhishek Bachchan, welcome to the runway show.
Thank you, man. Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm excited.
What do you think is the adjectives that people most associated with you right? Now? How do people describe Abhishek Bachchan? How do you think people describe Abhishek Bachchan?
I don't know how want them to destroyed me, but
Do you go from whatever you want? I mean act I'll be whatever
you want. I think I think I mean the word I'm hearing flying around which I don't entirely agree with the word. I'm hearing is underrated as an actor, like people really respect you as an actor, but then they think that oh, no, you know more people they should be more respect on this guy's name. So I think I think it's a cool place to be considering that you're a sports fan. That's what a lot of athletes want.
Um, well, I'm humbled. Thank you the fact that they just
About me is I think good enough, but no, I don't believe in these things as underrated or I think they're just being sweet. If you're really that good then they'll recognize you for what you are and that's it your movies do as well as can do and we should take a bit more responsibility for our work and and that's it. So if they think I'm underrated I'm humbled. I don't believe it. I think God has been very kind. The audiences have been Kinder. They've given me what's due to me and that's it.
So here is a cute.
It Story the first time I ever saw you in person in my life was when I was like think six or seven years old and you were going to Jaisalmer to shoot Mumbai say I am you know those I think I believe you were on the same flight as me.
Oh, wow,
you really nice man. That's what I remember about. You would like my first, you know, so-called celebrity real-life interaction or really so you you said you said the tone for a nine-year-old, but I'll tell you what, I feel like a vibe.
Changed a lot in a good way. You were great back there knows you're a good guy. I feel like you're a different dude right now. So right on the time I saw you and I'm going to be straight up with you man. Like, you know after I saw you I wanted to go see the whom there were Whispers of whom coming out. I feel like doing came out in 2004. That was a turning point for you. And I really I really followed you back. Then you had bluffmaster and you had you know, those other you had like this thing of really cool movies. I'm going to ask you straight up. I'm an entrepreneur. What's that one movie that
If people come in tell you you know come and thank you for what do you think? Is that one movie to come in? Thank you for
well. The one movie which I get a lot of is Guru. I made a movie called Guru which came out in 2007 directed by Mani ratnam with my wife and myself. And so that's the one move. We people come up a lot and say that was very inspirational and they like to watch it. So yeah,
how do you look back at that phase that bluff Master whom Guru face
it was fantastic.
You know Doom came out in August 2004 then the next year. I had Bunty Aur babli sarkar, right bluffmaster Kabhi alvida, na kehna Doom to they all came back to back all these songs Guru. Yeah. So it was it was great fun, man. I think you know at that point in time. You're young you're just enjoying do your work and you're getting great work to do you're working with great people. So I really enjoyed that face, but, you know, I've enjoyed every phase of my career.
From the start. I think the first couple of years was a very steep learning curve for me. You know, I having I was educated abroad in Switzerland and then the United States and my training I don't predominantly in English. So coming back, you know working in the film industry first and then try to become an actor becoming an activist a very different sensibility for me. So I had to really adjust to that and I think the first couple of years it was a big learning curve for me and then I decided
Enjoying it a lot more and yeah, I'm having a blast. I've always enjoyed my work. I've enjoyed making films and I've been very lucky. I mean it's been wild 21 years now and I think any actors been around for twenty one years has been very very lucky.
Hmm. Just asking you this in a brotherly way. But why do you why do you take breaks from films like, you know because people you do have sort of like a cult following so people want to see more of you and that's
Probably why we are underrated word keeps getting thrown up when the speaking about you. So why do you why do you go away for some time? And I get it. I get it as a guy I kind of get it like on a personal level, but I'd like to hear it from you. Well.
You know, the only time I took a break from my work was in 2016 after housefull 3 came out. I took a break for about two years, but that was just I needed to just recalibrate and re-evaluate what I was doing how I was doing. I wanted to set up some other businesses that are invested in but more than just just as an actor. I just felt I needed that one key off my ass. Basically that's that's that's a no-holds-barred version of
You know, I needed that one. Reboot. I needed to just just wake up again. I think I was getting else I was stuck in a rut where I was very conveniently and easily doing what I was doing or doing some great money and I wasn't I mean, I just felt that everything was coming a bit too easy. I needed to to just recalibrate and that's what I did. I took a break for two years and then I made one Marcia and since I shot from one more job actually.
I'm shooting since 2018 back-to-back barring a couple of months last year due to the lockdown and the films are just taking that much time because as soon as monomers are finished, I started shooting Ludo. I finished Ludo. I went onto a web show that they could breathe. I finished breathe and then I made Big Bowl finish big bull went on to Bob the sauce finished poposaurus are now in in Lucknow right now among people of know where I'm shooting my next to the sweet. I finished the screen another 10 days and I go straight back to greet the next season and then
Back, so, you know it takes time. I think the lockdown also calculate a few projects. And so yeah, and I'm just really happy with the work. I'm doing I'm happy. I'm in a good space and I'm enjoying my work and you know, I think I think you're very blessed and lucky as an actor. If you get to do mun Mirza breathe Ludo big bull Bob resource industry back to back. You know, that's that's that's a lot of different work and it's good fun. It's a great time to be an
actor.
Yeah, my name people are taking notice of this. You know, the I want to call this a 2.0 version of what you are doing the second Innings. So people are taking notice. But what I hear from you is that in that phase where you actually took that Hiatus you weren't search for an evolution, you know, you probably in search for this 2.0 version of yourself. So how old do you like in 2016
in 2016? I turned 40.
Okay. So here's my question to you. Do you think that something happened?
To a man's mind at 40 and the second question is was it anything to do with mental health or existentialism like where you going with in and asking questions?
No, it was about Mental Health.
It was just I think I'd reached a stage where I recognized that. I was being lazy with my work.
You know, I was doing huge films. They were becoming huge hundred crore 200 cross successes house making truck loads of money by the grace of God, but I think somewhere
As an artist you're just kind of going through the motions of it. Hmm, you know, it was easy money. The responsibility of those films wasn't on Muse on somebody else and I was very happy to standing the background and that was it and and there came a point of time where I said, no, this is not what I came here to do, you know as an artist you want to be challenged you want to have those sleepless nights. You want to you want to take responsibility for your work you want that pressure you want those Jitters as I'm sure any professional
One, you know you have to be ambitious and maybe somewhere that kind of emotion was lacking because I was just very comfortable. Hmm, and I just said no, I've got to change that and and that's what I did. So yeah, there was a lot of contemplation on my part in those two years, you know, I think you need to really delve deep within and find that spark again and reignite that entire engine and go for me.
It you know, and that's I'd like to believe that's what I did.
I mean, you know, dude I feel in a man's life. There's like three phases. I mean at least I'm speaking about 350. Okay, I don't know beyond 50, but because we've done the podcast primarily with people who are under the age of 50, here's what I figured. So one huge phase is when you're like going from 22 to 25 in this isn't just men. This is human beings. Okay men and women 20 to 25 is one Evolution. I feel when you have like a kid so like you're early on
Tortoises another and somewhere in your 40s you ever third like something happens, which brings me back to what I asked you about turning 40. What's that? Like in here? Like, what's that like,
you know, I always heard that once you turn 40 suddenly your life just starts falling into place.
And I have to say that's true because I think you finally realize that your priorities start mattering. I think we've always all had priorities, but finally you realize that you know, it's go time. This is this is when you really got to make it count and you start you start following the and adhering to those priorities and that's not going to happen before you're 40.
Okay,
regardless of what it is. Yes, I agree. Once you have a kid it kind of whoops you to shape, you know because you're not responsible for this for this this new life and and that that's an amazing moment. You know, I've seen fathers literally like their face change when when I've seen them holding their newborn child and I was no different.
That and then when you turn 40, I think for me it was it was it was like a Eureka moment. You know, you just suddenly what I okay. This is what I want to do. This is what I'm not happy doing and I got to make the changes that I got to make also I think on some level which we tend to do a lot in India. I don't know why I don't ask me why but I just use somewhere where very apologetic about our dreams and ambitions.
You know somewhere maybe it's part of a society or a culture where we're led to believe that being ambitious is not a cool thing. I feel the younger generation is as accepted that a lot better than people for my generation. We were really at the cusp of that and I just I just feel that you know, there's absolutely nothing wrong in wanting to achieve what you want to achieve even if it seems unreachable, but to have the confidence the
Self-assurance. Yeah, don't be arrogant about it. But to have the self-assurance to go out and achieve your dreams I think is so important and we got to stop telling.
Our kids primarily that you don't know just a humble and you know go out there, you know dream big do what it takes to achieve what you have to achieve and believe in
yourself 100% We had a historian on the podcast last week where I address this exact concept that why is the older generation in India, like people born the 60s 70s 80s slightly less, you know Brash then the younger generation. I feel the 90s Bond and 2000's Bond generation.
Really wants big things for themselves. They're not looking at American entrepreneurs American success stories and saying wow, that's crazy. They think we can also do that which is probably missing from the older generations. And then I feel the 80's 90's and 2000's has gradually shed that off. So I see it changing I hear you but I do see it changing. I'm sure you see that in your own daughter's. Well, the thought process is
different. Absolutely. Then I think that thought process is afforded to the younger Generations standing on the shoulders of the previous generations.
I think you know there's so many changes that happen.
Post-independence to India that that today we get to think on equal terms to everything else.
Historically over the last hundred hundred fifty odd years somewhere indeed the hose been told to think that we are not only subservient but we are not as good as the rest of the world and that post-independence that mindset started changing slowly and I really feel that today. We've covered the full circle where today's generation is on par with the world. We have access to the world which previously we didn't, you know in the early 90s when satellite television first came in is the first time India was opened.
To do what the world was watching and then came the internet and now suddenly there's absolutely nothing different about or you know, you're as informed your as educated your as how do you say capable and concluded with what's going on? So the West in no way is superior. No and I think because the access of the way the country is opened up the economy everything today. It's actually you know you
You go out there with great pride and today. I don't see that the younger generation thinking that anybody in the west or in the Far East is any better than us. We're as good if not better and I love that.
Yeah, you know that historian who we had on Center. This was like a tool that imperialist used to control their colonies where they tell every other continent know your shit don't think big we will always be above you they put it in our textbooks. It's called social engineering where you change like a whole societies.
Well, absolutely.
Really want to highlight one part of my life. Okay. I was in the ninth grade. And this is like a big turning point when the eighth or ninth grade couldn't I didn't really dream big for myself. Like I didn't really think about my career. That's when I happen to see Guru. You have no idea what kind of an impact that movie had on me. Plus I went to the Reliance school. I went to D is
and my daughter was the
best school in the world made me who I am given me everything in terms of
A mindset given me confidence giving me the ability to dream big because I think the main purpose of neat. Mm. I'm starting that school was to give that through by a money mindset to all the leaders of tomorrow plus I saw Guru and it kind of stayed in my head and I started thinking about business as a possible career. I said that that's a cool life. You know, that's what I want. I went back to Guru. I think last year in the lockdown, you know how when all of us were having Cabin Fever by like May or June and you're just like having these bad thoughts because of fatigue or because of this
Being locked up. I saw Guru and the early portions of that movie really made me cry. Okay, like I mean I was like tearing up because it's a lot of the same shit. I have gone through as a young entrepreneur now where the family's telling you not to do something Society is telling you something the existing players are telling you that your ideas are shared and then you're like, no, you know you there's a dialogue you have in that movie that says up JC have this is all okay to take her geun-hye has a something like that and it's also the way you acted, you know the way I just I feel
like
Yeah, I mean I love you as an actor, but that movie stands out the question I have for you. Yeah, the question I have for you is I don't think people know that you have a business side to you. I mean people have an idea that you're into business but did Guru kind of have any role in your life personally because I know that every piece you do as an actor stays with you changes you a little bit specifically about that movie. What impact did it have on your life mind?
heart soul,
you know, there's a very funny thing which happens I think most of the time I think with actors, but
I mean, I believe if if I ever go back and tell my younger self something about my work would be to pay more attention. You know, if we knew we were making history and I don't mean he's still at all. We've done something great. You just something that's been logged in history. You would have paid more attention when we were making Guru. It was just I mean it was my second film with money. We had finished Yuva. It was the chance to collaborate with him. There was Aishwarya Maddie
The Returned has a great cast. We're just so busy. Just having fun making movies. I don't think apart from money any of us had even thought to the impact that some was going to have you know, I mean sometimes like like some of the movies that you've mentioned since the start. I mean literally like like bluffmaster wasn't even going to happen, you know, and the casting was totally different and suddenly a date window of mine opened up and I called my friend Rohan and I said, you know do this windows open up his rocket has put it
We put a cast together. We just shot a film in like Bank get out in like 45 to 50 days in Mumbai in the monsoons. And that was it, you know and to come back today and today. I mean, it's been now what 15 16 years since it came out people will come and say oh we love the film will be goodness. It's fantastic and you just wish that you know, I wish I was that much more aware of what was happening, but possibly that is also why you know, we didn't take it that seriously. We weren't trying to be very pseudo-intellectual about the whole thing. You just try to do a film and make a film that is as entertaining. But when
Made good one of the anybody expected the kind of reaction with still be getting and I've actually been interested in business from way before that. I've always wanted to do something actively as an investor pretty much since I came out of college and and yeah, so I think would be unfair of me to admit or say that Guru change that mindset for me.
I think the one thing good really did for me personally is at that point of time. I was I think what
28 29 when I made the film to play that role and today people asked me to oh, you know, you're 2829 you put on like 20 kilos. You played a character this in his late 60s early 70s. None of your colleagues are doing it at that point of time. You did it back then physical transformation is something act as a starting to do now all of that and
and I really had never thought about it in that way for me. It was just about being true to the character and what money you have no wanted me to do and
I think the one thing Guru taught me is to have strength in my convictions.
You know if you believe in something and I was convinced that what we will do you good was correct be putting on the way aging the character playing it on the character, you know, there's certain the certain things that actors sadly have in their head, especially in our film industry that these are the do's and these are definitely the dogs and I think we kind of broke that thought process in Guru, but I was completely convinced it never occurred to me that we were doing something which could be a risk, etc, etc.
Because I really believed in what we were doing. So the one thing Guru taught me is just have the strength in your conviction and it'll all go right and that what it taught me in business as well. I mean being in sports, you know II don't do sports teams and I did it at a time where Sports apart from the IPL people. Are you crazy? Nobody watches any other sport in India about who cricket and that could have been true, but it was just this one belief and passion to do what you had to do and I followed that and that's always
Has paid off for me in the initial years of business. I feel personally as as an entrepreneur as an investor as a businessman, if there isn't passion then why you doing it for me. It's very important to have a personal emotional connected. What I'm doing beat films will be business. So for example in my investments in sports, which have been substantial I really believed in it.
And because of that passion and that belief it never came across as a risk. It was something I genuinely wanted to do and I had to make it work and I worked really hard on it and I worked in it because I believed in it not because I was invested and I think that's that's an important distinction to have as an entrepreneur. So I did that but what I realized is is there's that slight honeymoon period where your passion and your interest takes your business so far after which you have to have a very strong business plan because you need to sustain it.
If you don't have that you're going to find I mean like I genuinely feel today. I admit it openly I still don't act upon it entirely but I really feel in my sporting teams. I'm actually coming in the way of those teams becoming even bigger and better because I approach Sports in a particular way.
And business in a different way and those two ideologies always Clash because I'm fiercely loyal as a person. I'm very duty-bound and I stand for all those qualities of loyalty duty honor and sometimes when you're putting a championship team together, those are things which you have to park on the side. You have to be very cold. You have to be very shrewd and do what's best for the team.
For example, you know, who do you drop who you sign? I find that if I hate making that decision, I don't like to cut anybody for my team's I've always believed in the Triumph of human spirit. So if there's a player who's been fantastic and a legend for my team in the past and the last season wasn't that good. I still want to bank on that player and give them a chance. I've been given a second chance in life, and I know what it meant and I did my best not to throw that.
In John's away. So I hope that you know, they'll be able to do that. But there are times when it just might not be possible. So as a team owner or as a business owner, you have to take those harsh cold decisions keeping the macro view in mind and and I feel maybe somewhere that comes in the way for me. So now I have to put down a vision statement. I have to create my roadmap and give it to the professionals to run the team that are qualified to do it. I've set up the foundation.
Foundation and now I need to pass a rare find that very difficult to drive trying but you know, I do feel that these are two stages of of investing which are important at least to me, you know, I know a lot of investors who just invest because it's a Sound Investment for me. It's not just about the finances. It's about you know, they'll have a connected me. Yeah,
I hear you man. You speak about business. So passionately I think you speak about it as passionately as you do about films. Why don't you talk a little bit about you and
Elements, like where have you invested and everyone knows what your sports Investments would you do stuff outside of that as
well? Yes. I mean I invested in the stock market, not major Libra a little bit here and there I think everybody does I'm I'm I'm not a very high risk taker when it comes to stocks. I like to diversify my portfolio and
I would say I'm a moderate investor in that sense my risk potion isn't that high? But I enjoy investing in startups. Hmm. I think that just comes that's just I think a legacy of of of my sports, you know, it's about, you know, it's it's about believing in that one vision and that one dream helping somebody along and doing it. I I'm a big Tech guy. I really enjoy
Take so I like investing in Tech it intrigues me and it's amazing for me. Also just amazing because when you enter that world of startups about you just see how advanced the world is thinking and that's just amazing blows me away. But then again it's very easy to get to to get sucked into that world and you still then have to make this business decisions of where am I going to put my money because everybody gives a great pitch, right?
You know and we all know the success ratios in startups. I mean the possibly worse than what they are in our film industry. So so so you got to you got to be careful. You got to you got to you know, understand the landscape and and go from
there.
Beautiful. I mean while everybody does give a good pitch. So I have recently started working as an investor with a few startups my formulas great pitch cool. I need to trust in the people like the team it's kind of like sports and you say okay. I like these people. I like this energy here your own gut feeling like what does your intuition say? Yeah, and probably a track record, you know, it's always good to have a Sony ut3 on the team. So some that's probably the formula for me, but you spoke.
Stock market we got to talk about the big bull. Is that why you took up that movie like and you're getting like, you know, beautiful reviews every other year. This guy acted acted well killed
it. I'm you know, very honestly I
I shy away from all this if I find it funny how to respond to stuff like this because on some level you're like, okay. I'm an actor. That's my job. I did my job, you know, and I meant to do a good job, you know, at least that's what's expected of you. That's why somebody would cost you to film. So I find it very weird to react to others but it's you know, it's very overwhelming. It's very overwhelming. I mean
Because it released directly on digital. We don't have like the box office metric tell us about how the film is doing so we can just base it on the kind of comments that we get and just to see so many people appreciating your work is so reassuring no and then it becomes overwhelming very encouraged on I mean, it's been now I think almost 4 days and still like all my social media feeds the like flooded and people just appreciating it. Yes. There are a few people that that will have the criticisms and that's good. You know, that's the way
grow, so so I'm just overwhelmed with the positivity that they've had with my with my performance and I thank them but
I'd love to give you a really cool answer for your question, but there isn't the truth is my dear friend elder brother and neighbor. IJ called me like two two and a half years ago and said I've heard the script I want to produce it and I want you to hear and that was it. I mean, I'd already said yes right there. I can never say no project ideas is very very dear to me. Somebody have immense love and respect for
And I know he's not going to pick up the phone and ask me to do it for him. If he doesn't think it's worth my while so even before hearing the script I said yes to the film. So I just said AJ look is your film. You know, I'm going to do it. So let's get on with it. He said no. No, you hear it. Don't don't just take a decision like that. So I don't need to cite it but then he sent cookie the director and he narrated the story to me and I just thought of such a wonderful character. I don't know many actors would probably say no to a to a film like this, you know to have a character that goes through such a wonderful story of
It's fantastic. I enjoy the my I like four racks to which is kind of Trope. You know, I like the whole Underdog coming out and winning and I like that so I enjoyed it
lovely. Okay. I'm going to make it a little more intense. Okay, I'm gonna dial up the intensity of this podcast and I always wait till a certain point the podcast where I intuitively know that okay do it now. I've been dying to ask you this all my life since I studied you your dad.
Not your parents had a little bit of a tough phase in the late 90s where Dad spoken about it pretty openly and then your dad also went into a second innings in life starting from KBC. And you know, I feel like a greatest Mentor in life are usually your parents like, I mean, that's because I mean their earliest mentors are things they say to you when you're a child really stay with you. So what was your observation of whatever was happening back? Then there was financial trouble there was difficulties and you know you are
Making your debut right after that. So what was going on in your head as an
observer?
Well, I have front row seats, right, you know.
Well truth be told I left University. I was studying in Boston University and I was doing I declared my major as liberal arts. And then I majored in performing arts and I left my education because my father was going through this really rough time financially. It started a business called EBC L. And I just felt I don't think I was qualified to help in any which way but I just felt as a son I needed to be around my father.
You know and help in whatever way so I left my college I came back and I started helping him in this company. I started as a production boy. So I salute really I mean I was a glorified tea maker basically and that's where I first met Ajay devgan actually in the sense. I knew him as a kid cause both our fathers to work together and we grew up in the same neighborhood, but that was the first time I got to really spend quality time with it because I was I was a production boy on the film that he was acting for major sir, and he really took me under his wing and he was so supportive and when that film
it made because because of his cooperation and I'll always be thankful to him for that and he taught me pretty much everything there is to know about the film industry at the same time after I finished that you know ad the bit the production that I started trying to become an actor and I just remember
There was one late night early morning. I was in my room. I'd just gone to sleep and my father, you know, call me on the intercom. And and he said hey, are you awake? I said, well I am now and and he said will you come up to my study and I went up to a study and you could make out that he'd obviously not slept he been up all night. Just sitting in a study.
And he said, you know things aren't working out movies aren't working out this business not working out. Nothing is working out and
I've always believed that when everything is going wrong Go Back to Basics. He said I'm an actor I got to go back to acting and I'm not happy with the way. I'm looking. I'm not happy with way of feeling and going to do something about it. And he said you know what I've decided we're going to make this work and you and I will have to work very hard. I hate to say this to you because you're you know, you're going to be making
Your for a to the films, but we're going to fight and let's make this happen and that's the kind of relationship my father and I share were best friends. And I said, okay, I went back to bed. He got he had a shower and left for the gym at like 5:30 in the morning. And from there. He came back from the gym shower and walked across to mr. Yash chopra's house.
And told yes uncle that look, I don't have a job. I don't know but he's giving me work anymore. My movies aren't working and I've come to ask you to please give me a film to work it and yes, uncle that evening. He said okay Nora, how can you say that? You're my friend does that I'll work something out and that evening. He sent other Tetro probative and they offered him more booty which form of film perspective turned things around for him and at that same time is when KBC was happening.
So yeah, I had front row seats, but you know, I've always said this publicly my parents never brought me up to be a quitter it was do or die, you know, I firmly believe in life.
Do you ever have a backup?
If you have that one back up, you're always going to rely and know that the back your head that I've got that back up. So this doesn't work. I have that option and we all think like that. We're all brought up like that, especially in Indian households, you know have that one safety net. But you seem Dark Knight Rises. Yeah. So you remember that one time when you try to break out of the prison and the final time he does it without the rope and he said what were they saying in there? Just saying, you know, there is no rope remember that.
So we're going to lead your life man. If you if you open a you want to jump in both feet into the deep end and figure out how to swim because the minute you know that there is that one option. You're always going to take that option when it gets really tough. No matter how much willpower you have how determined you are. It's just human instinct when you don't have that safety net. You're just going to have to make it work and that's the way I've always approached my work. I've never given up despite any roadblocks or
obstacles or setbacks and that's it man, you know, like like Rocky says it's not about how hard you hit it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. I didn't know how winning is done man
adversity builds the character of human men. That's what I will highlight and you know, it's all these dark phases that you actually remembered for these dark stories that you get to speak about that you get to attribute or characteristic.
Two if I to highlight just three things you've learned from your dad Amitabh Bachchan in your whole life. What would those three things be like life lessons that our sons loan from his father
discipline.
Duty
and wisdom
mmm
I have
a 90 year old Granddad at
home and
change. Yeah, I mean beautiful man taught me a lot in life watched a lot of wrestling together and you know, we went through that phase as well, but he's at home. He's still conscious. He's just really old honestly, like, you know, he's very oldest bodies like giving away.
I'm sure you're seeing that around you as well. Like you know, you see your relatives get old. I'm seeing that with my mom and my dad is what your the mindsets are changing. What are you noticing about your parents were now you're in your 40s in that's probably something else that happens in your 40s where you're like, oh shit, maybe now I'm gradually becoming the parent, you know, life's roles change up our you have you thought of this concept at all.
Well, my father's Benjamin Button, so, you know,
He works as much as I do and I just his zest for life and to work. Is this amazing and even my mom dude she 73 and she's in Parliament and she's going for her and she's passionate about what she does. I think it's amazing. I think it's very important to stay mentally active. Then those are phase I have to admit.
You know what? I got married and you know, that's what you came into our lives and she brought so much happiness and peace and then she gave she gave birth to our daughter and that just you know, I mean amazing and I remember turning to my dad and say okay now, you know, you need to chill out, you know, take it easy. I make the one out film but enjoy, you know this phase of your life play with your granddaughter this that and take it easy.
He didn't obviously evidently and I realized that with my father the day he stops working. You know, he's going to start following him and he has several medical issues, but it's just his will power and his love and desire for doing what he does that I think just keeps him going and I really feel it's such a great life lesson that even my dad is going to be 79 this year. My mom is seven just turned 73 yesterday and
There's still so active and I think it's important to be mentally active and physically active and like I said, there is no God give them the longest life. I haven't my Nani is my only living grandparent right now. She's 92 and she's unbelievably by the grace of God that would so active, you know, so include speak to all the time. She's out. She's you know, she lives in Bhopal and so I really feel that's amazing. So with my parents, yes, you do start growing up and saying, okay.
Go to start taking care of them and you have those days when you see them aging but I really am so blessed that both my parents are healthy, they're active and I think that's very important.
And I'm sure you'll wife is a support system for you through this whole journey man,
unbelievable. She's unbelievable. You know, she's she's really my
anchor no one really knows, you know your love story. So maybe if you could take us through that really quick and then how the love story has panned out in the last 10 years because people don't know these things about you and I'm shamelessly going to ask you what your personal life here.
Well, I've always been a bit reticent to discuss it. But what was really nice, you know with Estuary and me is we've always been friends, you know from before I became an actor. I first met actually when I was a production boy and I was there was a film my father was making calm redundant and iÃve gone as for the location Ricky in Switzerland because the company felt because I grew up in Switzerland in boarding school that I would be able to take them, too.
Nice location. So I'll send that to find locations and stuff and I've been there for a couple of days and obviously, you know all alone and that's when a deer childhood friend of mine. Bobby deol was shooting his first film or PR OG are over there and he got to know I was there and he said hey, why don't you come over for dinner? And that's you know, the first time when they were shooties when I met Aishwarya and so obviously, you know, you meet socially and then very early in my career the the the second film. I have a shot.
Did shooting for was a movie called dioxide Dream came in which she was cast as well and we did several films as co-stars and we'd always been friends. And I mean once you start working over so you form a better Bond and we were always friendly always love talking to each other.
Were you crushing on her just a little bit throughout this
video doesn't who doesn't come
on
and and
we were always friends and she always found a very
Contrary to this whole image that she has I found it to be so normal and so grounded and so cool. It is very, you know, we have this image that she's you know this but she was she was just so normal so warm and we all we just hit it off immediately. We were always good friends, you know, we stayed in touch whatever and I think that friendship does grew into love and and then you know, it took it from there. So I think the foundation of a relationship has been friendship and we've maintained that throughout
You know, I think brutal honesty coupled with with unconditional love and support. I think that
Are some of the most important pillars of a healthy marriage plus communication, you know, she she does the heavy lifting in in the relationship. You know, she's just amazing. I'm so blessed to have her and you know, I'm so thankful that that she you know that she's in part of my life and she's my partner and she truly is that partner for me, you know, she's my anchor she she grounds me. She's my go-to person when
When I feel conflicted about something she just starts out a lot of
stuff. Yeah, and you know, the I mean the the outside perspective on dating or marrying someone like Aishwarya Rai for a lot of brothers is Yo, really I'm getting to date or marry Aishwarya Rai or a girl like that. So, you know when you were when you weren't married and when you got know that your marriage is a possibility what was going on in your head because a lot of guys aren't able to wrap the head around. I mean that's happened to me as well. You know when you're
Dating someone who's like that. You're just like yo, how do I even process this or take us through your confidence game? You know, that's the alternative question. If you don't want to take us through
I don't know, you know, like I said, I think you could feel that if that the other person makes you feel like that but she's I mean, if you ever get the opportunity to meet her speak to your computer, you'll be completely disarmed by her simplicity.
And she's very real and very normal. So you never you know, she never puts out that Vibe. So you never end up thinking like
that you but it's also I this is just my hunch and that's what worked for you even in the mid-2000s. I'm going to say it there was a lot of actors using steroids trying to get like six back raped and you had your own image you will you know away from the pack, but work for you was your Vibe your confidence used to come out on screen. I'm so sure that's had a role to play in your love story as well.
Well, so don't don't deny
that I have to ask her man. Do you feel so do you feel so I never really thought about it to be honest. I never really thought about it, but I'll ask her.
I mean this is coming from people who view your films. That's that's honestly what works for you. It's the way that you can see the confidence when you dance on your weight chill with yourself, which is also why I think you handled Twitter trolls and all that really well when other people are going like we're living in the
The haters you're just like slightly giving it back. So it's pretty cool.
You know. Also, I think we all we tend to take ourselves a bit too. Seriously. You got to learn to laugh at yourself. You got to have some fun. Some of those Twitter guys are really funny even some of them are and some of them are really unfunny who think they're really funny. So once in a while, it's nice to put them in their place.
Yeah, you know I have
and like I've said this before, you know, if you think you can take potshots at me, why do you think I can't take pot shots back? Hmm, you know, I know
it's fine, but it's all done in jest. It's all for fun. You got can't get so carried away with it. And like I said, I think I think I think celebrities also we've become far too sensitive about everything. We just gotta learn to chill out and have a bit of fun here. Social media isn't reality. You know, it isn't whether you like it or not. I mean in the context of my profession I can tell you know hundreds of people to go watch x film. That doesn't mean they go watch it. There's no correlation between box office and
Media, so yeah, you just have to have fun with it man. It's a platform for communication. So communicate.
Yeah, I hear you. But I also kind of feel that your entrepreneur speaking up because you have something to do outside of the world of Glamour and media and I feel that often when you're just doing one thing in your career. You get kind of locked into it completely. So I always feel like
don't get me wrong. When when I first joined Twitter and like 2009 the first couple of years, you know one comment can set you off. Let me admit. We're all human, you know, we try and tied
Over the negative stuff, but it hurts, you know because it's somebody's opinion and and you're in a sense. You're a public servant you work for the audience and even one person not like your work. I feel you have to take cognizance of you have to be aware because that's how you're going to change it improve. But after about a time you you develop your height, you know, you develop the skin the first two years. I mean the smallest thing and I have to get like wow, you know really riled up but I think with time yours it is learn to sail.
Okay, don't think that's yours
God and I got to bring you back to my favorite place in the world and your favorite place in the world Twitter. That's where we'll be taking some fan questions. All right, let's do it. Mr. Abhishek Bachchan. I hope you're ready for some intense. Quick. Twitter was questions. Okay CMD 7 asks, what was your favorite character to play in a serious movie, but I'll let you lose and say in any movie. What was your favorite all-time character to play?
the one I'm playing right now, which is I'm playing Chaudhary gangaram in my movie the story but I'll tell you why I say that and I said this somebody asked me this, you know, I when
when I just come back from college and I was and I was working with my dad. I was had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Shahrukh at my friend who does house over lunch and I remember asking when you know young wannabe actor and I said sure you know, and he's wonderful wonderful guy lovely and and I said sure what's your which has been like which is your dream world, you know, and this is the one I'm doing right now and he said make sure that's
Always your dream role in your favorite character because if it's not that you never going to give it a hundred percent.
Am I allowed to ask you that from all your past characters? Which one's the closest to your
heart?
There are all closed. I mean obviously Refugee you'll always be special because my first dome will will always be special because it was considered my first success but they're all closed because I've learned so much from them, especially the ones that didn't work. You know II don't really know that I don't really believe in the word failure in that sense. You know failure is is up to the person that's doing it.
weather
You know, you read all these inspirational quotes and you know, I really honestly believe that you it's in your hand whether you decide something is a failure or not. Because if you can take something positive out of it, then it's a lesson. It's a learning you've not that doesn't become a failure. So something doesn't go according to plan make sure to turn in positive by at least learning from so I've learned from all of them. So they're all very very closed.
We had Ronnie screwvala on the show.
And the one coat of his that stayed with me was failure is a comma it's not a full stop and that's what we all feel. This is a
very awesome. Yeah, absolutely,
especially before failure happens. Your perception of it is my life was going to end right there, but actually it's about taking the hit and like going forward like Rocky so okay. There's a lot of rude questions here, but I'm going to give you one of those rude questions Nishi Gupta asked, how does Abhishek deal with the criticism face because of the fact that he's the son of Amitabh Bachchan and I'm
I'm sure this is a repeated thing. You've had throughout your career where people might compare you to your dad. And I know that you don't compare yourself to your dad because he's a legend but on a personal level. I'm sure that you had a journey to get to that point of understanding that answer for yourself. So when people know start way I
look at it man. You're comparing me to the best. If you're comparing me to the best means I'm obviously worth something to be compared to the best the fact that you think me worthy enough to take my name in the same sentence has is goes to show that obviously I'm doing something right. Hmm.
So that's the way I look at
it. Hmm. Okay, Josh wadhwani asks a question about your daughter. How does a big deal with Aradia when she wants to learn something like swimming badminton or do you ever pressurised how to learn something? Like, I mean just generally the question is what father would want to approach to fatherhood,
you know, our approach to Parenthood is as long as your child is happy and healthy.
Should be fine. Let's not put pressure on them to do stuff that we want them to and like I said in our relationship Aishwarya is doing does the heavy lifting so, you know, she's an amazing mother and
The amount of dedication and selflessness that she that she has towards a donor's unbelievable. You know, she takes such good care of her and she loves me to go out and make my movies and you know, but we've always said that as long as our ideas happy and healthy, we're happy. So we're never going to pressurize it through anything is what she wants to do and will always support.
Beautiful man. Okay.
Hey Marcia hamesha asks being known for several years. What's been a major? Breakdown moment? I think she means after you became famous like after you began your film career. And how do you combat that after you began your career? Was there any kind of intense breakdown
moment several? I mean every time you some doesn't do. Well you get a bad review our nasty comment. It affects your told you we're human beings. But yeah, I think the initial
phase of my career
there was a point of time when I went to my dad and I said look, I think I made a mistake because no matter what I'm doing is just not working. I've tried everything, you know worked with newcomers work to establish directors and everything and none of my friends are working and I think I made a mistake and you turn to me and he said firstly I never brought you up to be a quitter.
Secondly, I'm telling you as an actor that you are improving with every film. So just work sign whatever it is, you know, whether you're you know, if you're the main lead if you are supporting us, whatever just work keep working on your craft and you're improving. So yeah, there were times when you know, you have to understand when we if we tank we tank publicly and that takes a lot of guts to do. It's not easy man this
Very competitive industry. This is a very difficult industry. It's an industry which demands Blood Sweat and Tears and you have to you know, the price for your art is immense, but that's that's what's due and that's what you have today. And if you're not prepared to do that in you're not going to succeed. So, you know, you have a lot of those moments where you're really down on your confidence and life really beats you up, but then in comes Rocky and
You're all set
again, man.
I don't think a lot of people know this side of you and that's totally your sports fans. I'd coming out using this so many sports parallels. So I appreciate you putting it out on the show. Just a few more questions on this segment interesting questions is sort of related to Big Bull Cavalier bajpayee. I asked sewing to the arrival of web series is and online content in every possible medium has a process of making choices changed and if yes, what additional factors do you
Have to incorporate in your own head. So I think the basic question is that because of the online space how has that changed your career as an actor?
Well your decision making process for
television Digital streaming sites and big films like big screen films has to be very different because in a sense the three very different mediums. I understand why that can be confused and the slides can blur but having done a web series last year having had two films release on Ott this year and now in December and this year having
The movies all my life. They're very they're written very differently. So I think for like the Ott space your decision-making has to be different for for a theatrical release. Your decision has to be different. So your approach is going to have to defer but I think digital has just opened the floodgates for such wonderful talent to come in because first of all, it's just increased the demand for actors and directors and writers and technicians.
And what it does also is it's not just India Centric in the more anymore. So what I mean by that is our Cinema our USP is our indianness, you know, we cater to the Indian sensibility and that's what I love about Indian Cinema, you know everything about it the melodrama that the pomp the pageantry of always said Indian films are like Indian Tully's there's a little bit of everything and that's just what makes us so unique and so awesome.
That's never going to change but on digital your now catering to a world audience where everybody sensibilities are different. Everybody's culture is different everybody societies different and you are going to have to match up certain perceived International sensibility to certain things.
So that's the difference. I feel in a digital and the theatrical release.
So Cinema is getting more globalized because of this digital space in obviously
mad at me put it this way. I mean, you know, you go onto a Netflix or Amazon or hot star and you get to see TV shows web series limited series movies from world over at the same time.
You know your audience on a lot of the stuff that you put on booties also seen by foreign people. I mean, I have a lot of friends from my high school days and they're all I mean, I mean some of my friends are all there all westerners, you know, and they all watch my work on streaming platforms and I get their feedback and I see the difference in sensibilities.
They might not for example, I mean if I may be a bit facetious, they might not understand boy-meets-girl things going to I speed cut your in Switzerland singing a song.
We as Indians love that stuff man, you know and they're like wait what what how did that happen? So they might not understand that but they have to send that our Cinemas is so different to what's happening in the world and that's why we're unique and that's why we're so wonderful, you know the melodrama the Revenge all of that, you know, I think our emotions our emotional quotient as it is a lot higher. So when on an Ott you have to you have to cater to everybody.
Okay.
Okay. Next question is from September and he's a member of my team has spiritualism or God played any role in your experience of Life heavy question, but I wouldn't mind hearing it
from you.
Norman
I don't know if I'm a spiritual person. I don't know how religious I am. I pray. I love going to Temples. I have a very unique relationship with my God and it's a one-on-one equation, but I don't I don't know if that has played it.
It's a very personal I think religion is a very personal thing. Okay, but for me my relationship with my parents has been far more sacred than anything else beautiful.
Yeah, they say, you know, there's not one single atheist in the world. Everyone has a god they just call it different things. So you could like sports could be your godparents could be a word whatever it is. So I think that was the real question behind this, you know, man and the last questions from me because you're a
Dude, and am deeply into sports just like yourself. That's where I withdraw my motivation from you know, when you see the story unfold in the Sports World somewhere you take away shit from that recently. I've been deep into the NBA following it deeply for the
last. Oh, yeah see the Lakers and what they did to the next this morning. Hell.
Yeah. So all of it, right like you have your Damian Lillard of the world you have Steph Curry
story my first love in sports.
His basketball. Oh, really? Yeah. So I as far as I can remember, the first sporting event I ever went to live was to the LA Forum which is where the Lakers used to play When I was a small kid. My father took me to a Laker Celtic game Magic Johnson so dude, I'm about Showtime Lakers. Okay. Imagine talked very well to Jabbar James Worthy AC Green, you know, Byron Scott all these Cooper all these guys Rambis against Larry Bird Kevin McHale
Danny Ainge all these guys while I mean the biggest sporting rivalry of all time and and I was hoping when I when I was in boarding school, I went to a British boarding school and I mean II was thinking playing football but football was life, you know being a British school, but house ice play basketball. I was Captain of my basketball team and and it's been my first love and I've been like a Laker fan was the first like franchise ever follow. So so I'm a huge basketball buff man.
That's crazy.
And I mean hearing you I'm sure you're following whatever was happening even recently. You're in touch with the
game come. Yeah,
and that's why one of my personal goals as well to buy an Indian version of an NBA franchise by the time I'm 40 years old. So, let's see at some point. Hopefully, let's talk. Well,
let's talk for sure. We all are represented in the NBA though. So that's great a dear friend of mine to take another way is one of the owners of the Sacramento Kings. He's a Jew Boy originally
And now obviously you in the early 70s shifted to the Bay Area is a big bad guy, but him Shaq are part owners. He's the majority owner of the Sacramento Kings. So we have India represented. Yeah.
Yeah, and I feel that NBA is just going to keep expanding into an MC and expand in urban centers, but it's also kind of expanding in Punjab Kerala. These plays are picking up on NBA people of following LeBron. People are following you Steph Curry this so it's great news for NBA fans. We're not a niche anymore.
The question is if you had to quickly highlight five stories from sport that have added to your mindset. What would those stories of those athletes be from all of the
sports? You have so many men and that's the wonderful thing about sport. It just provides so much motivation inspiration. They're wonderful stories. Like I keep saying the Triumph of the human Spirit. It just has that net the first of all the sporting Spirit secondly is that never-say-die Spirit, you know until that final Bell doesn't ring.
Goal, you don't stop trying. I mean, they're such wonderful wonderful stories, you know such great stories that great sporting moments. There are hundreds of them that you can take so much inspiration from just go to YouTube and YouTube. Some of them is this it's unbelievable
just five five athletes. If you had to highlight, you know, who your favorite five athletes if you want, I'll give you mine and then maybe you to set you off on some tangents.
It's it's very tough to choose wife, but obviously as an Indian the first of
Anybody's is such a delicate man. Unbelievable another athlete. I have unbelievable respect for not just because of what he did on the field but more for what you did ask. The field is yuvraj Singh, you know for the life that you view as had the way he's battled cancer comebacks to play and I believe he was aware of his illness during the World Cup final and to come out as a man of the tournament. His fighting spirit is
Something else unbelievable, you know, it's just unbelievable. But then you have great athletes in there like Leander paes. Let me just look at Li and the span of his career. I mean he won a bronze in the Atlanta Olympics. He's still playing professional tennis. It's unbelievable. I would I mean I'm willing to wager these possibly one of the longest-serving professional athletes in the world. I know there's this one
Japanese professional footballer who was like 52 and he's not playing but just what Lee has achieved has been fantastic and international the so many I mean one of my favorite and one of my Idols in my life is mad good job on so, you know, and I had the absolute pleasure to meet him in 2015 when I was actually invited to play in the NBA also get celebrity match and I was the first Indian to go out there. I remember I had I had a slipped disc and I took all these shots.
Interested because I have to do as an NBA fan. How can you not want to you know, run out in Madison Square Garden and nothing top that but meeting Magic Johnson and you know, he's just been a player that I've just admired.
from ever since I was a kid and you know for him to deal with his career and be just the best at what he was I mean just to be a point guard and be the size that he is is I mean, I think in achieving that itself and then to go through being hiv-positive, you know to fight that battle public need to come out and just be such champions of the disease and for the cause and then and just being such a great business entrepreneur, he's actually one of the main Inspirations behind me wanting to become an entrepreneur was because I saw wonderfully
Johnson did it and how he gave back to the community. So they're just so many wonderful wonderful athletes out there that can give you so much inspiration every day. Did he drop by? You know, I'm a big follower of Chelsea Football Club whatwhat did he drop what did off the field as well? I mean the man put a stop to a civil war, you know, it's in his home country and you know, it's just I think there's so many athletes that just provide not just inspiration.
By being the athletes that they are but also by being the human beings out there.
I hear you. I'm going to quickly go my wife LeBron James for business Khalifa mentality, Damian Lillard for Cutthroat attitude. I'd probably say Nadal for just being a nice guy, but also having brutality inside him and you know, I'd probably say just pread boom era for just like recently. I've been following him inside out just the way he goes about business. So those are my
five cool calm collected man is unbelievable.
Yeah, and that's five out of a hundred other sports people.
Added to my mindset love your mindset, man. I think that this part we wasn't out there. God bless you dude. I feel like, you know the next 20 30 years you're going to you're going to write some stories that people aren't expecting. So good luck with it.
Thanks, man. I appreciate that for sure. Have fun.
Take care of this is and thank you for being
thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good luck.
