Abhishek Bachchan: Want to be challenged at this point

Abhishek Bachchan

In an industry that largely functions on the out-of-sight-out-of-mind premise, Abhishek Bachchan took a gamble when he opted for a two-year-long sabbatical. As he kicks off his second innings with Manmarziyaan, the actor says the decision of taking a hiatus has paid off in the form of "clarity of thought" and "an informed approach".

"I was surprised why I hadn't done this before," smiles Bachchan, emphasising that amid the frenetic pace of work, it is important for an artiste to "pause, take a step back and reflect. It allowed me to introspect about the kind of work I wanted to do. The time-out helped me gain perspective."

Looking back, he reflects that it is easy to lose sight of the long-term goal as one flits from one box office release to another. "I was happy to be an actor who didn't have a plan in place. I had become complacent. But then, I realised that I didn't want to coast along. Now, I want to be challenged, I want to be uncomfortable."

By choosing to make a comeback with an Anurag Kashyap film, Bachchan proved that he is ready to walk the talk. "The moment Aanand L Rai [producer] told me that Anurag is directing Manmarziyaan, I knew he was going to push me to an extent that I haven't been pushed before. I knew his expectations from an artiste since I had worked closely with him in Yuva (2004), a film that he had written."

Bachchan has an interesting line-up of films, including Gulab Jamun with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. "It is a beautiful script that Sarvesh [Mewara, director] offered us a year ago. We intend to do the film, but we are working out the dates."

Also Read: Manmarziyaan Star Abhishek Bachchan Visits The Golden Temple

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