THE REINVENTION OF ABHISHEK BACHCHAN

He came back roaring on OTT with path-breaking performances, to say the least. Is this a new version of the fine actor, and has the web avenue played a role in him finding his niche?

- Jigar Shah

Some cinematic moments and characters are so deeply etched in our hearts that they forever live on in our memories. Who knew when Shah Rukh Khan starred in a film titled Baadshah, he would be referred to as one thereon? With Anil Kapoor, we got the catchphrase Jhakaas, and Salman Khan made the shirtless body hero a sensation. Abhishek Bachchan's latest release, Dasvi, features a song whose lyrics go something like: Macha Macha Macha Macha, Macha Macha Macha Re. Chaahe tanne medal mile, chaahe koi sazaa de. These lines align well with the actor's journey, which has been anything but easy. 60 films, 21 years, interesting characters, an unmatchable wit- Bachchan has it all. Yet, before OTT, something was quite amiss. He's dealt with constant comparison to legendary parents Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, he still does, although his journey has been anything but one that would be the result of a silver spoon.

A candid Bachchan had said in a Rolling Stone interview in 2021, "It took me over two years to get my first film. A lot of people would think that being Mr. Bachchan's son, people are going to be lined up around the block. No, they weren't. I spoke to almost each and every director before starting, and they did not decide to work with me, and that's fine."

In the same interview, Bachchan opened up about being replaced in films without being told, reaching a set and realizing he's been replaced, and being in situations where he's been moved to a back seat in a public function when a bigger star showed up.

In a previous interview with Hindustan Times too, in fact, Bachchan commented on failure and said, "Failing publicly is humiliating and sometimes, people take pleasure in seeing you fail. I faced a lot of hardships at the beginning of my career. I slowly realized that it's a business and you just have to pull up your socks and keep carrying on."