Don't want to be compared to anyone, especially my father: AB Jr

Don't want to be compared to anyone, especially my father: Abhishek Bachchan

• Prashant Singh, Hindustan Times, Mumbai|
• Updated: May 19, 2016 19:45 IST

Do you really still get nervous before a film's release?
Absolutely... I think that is important, too, because that means that it (the film) matters to you. It's true; even after completing 16 years in the industry, I still get butterflies.

Time flies when you are having fun. It has been a great journey, and there's a long way to go. I would like to believe that I have grown as an actor. I think I have managed to educate myself about the craft, and I have also managed to improve my performances. It is important to keep growing.

Has it been difficult for you to step out of your father, Amitabh Bachchan's shadow?
If you start thinking from that perspective, you will never be able to do anything. All you will think about is, "How am I going to step out of this shadow?" I am trying to be the best I can. I don't want to be compared to anyone, especially my father. I am not just his son, but also his biggest fan. Plus, it has been 16 years, and I'm still here [in Bollywood]. I am who I am because of my parents. Being their son is a matter of great pride for me.

Have people been harsh on you because of your lineage?
How many actors get compared to Amitabh Bachchan? How many actors have the privilege of being spoken about in the same breath as him? That's my blessing. If anyone feels I am worthy of being compared to him, then I am doing something right.

Do high expectations ever weigh you down?
No, I don't think of it that way. Dad is such a mountain of talent. I still see him, at this age, and this stage in his career, rehearsing for his scenes till late in the night. That's what you need to concentrate on. So, you have to block all these things out.

When you married Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan), did you ever feel your stardom would get compared to hers?
I don't think about such things, as they don't matter. I'd rather prioritise what's important. Other things are fickle, and only fickle people can think on those lines. A genuine person will thank God for giving him a dad like Amitabh Bachchan, who he can learn so much from, and a wife like Aishwarya, who loves him unconditionally.

You haven't worked with Aishwarya since Raavan (2010). Do you plan to work together in the future?
I would love to work with Ash again. And, I know, she, too, will love to do the same. But there has to be a script. No one has approached us with something really worthwhile that we would want to commit to together.

Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan arrive at the wedding reception of Tulsi Kumar. (Photo: Yogen Shah)

Work-wise, are you content with the way things have panned out?
No, but I don't know any other actor who is. I feel the day you become happy, you become complacent. For an actor, it is important, at some level, to not be satisfied with what you are doing, as that dissatisfaction is what will help you improve and excel in the future.

The perception is that Abhishek isn't a commercially viable actor' or hasn't delivered hits...
I have been through phases when my films weren't doing well, and no one wanted to work with me. So, your phone doesn't ring, no one takes your calls, but that's the business; you can't take it personally. Then, one film works, and everyone is back on track. There's not even one actor who hasn't had flops. That's the norm of the industry; what goes up has to come down and vice versa.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan at an event in London. (AFPPhoto)

Your new film, Housefull 3, is a very different choice for you...
It was exciting because I have never done slapstick or situational comedy. But I wanted to try something like that. In this film, I had the opportunity to work in, what is possibly, the most renowned franchise in that genre. Also, the entire team was wonderful, so one knows that the best possible product will be put out eventually. There's a huge amount of pressure, too, because you don't want to ruin it.

You've said previously that you always wanted to work with film-maker Sajid Nadiadwala...
Yes, Sajid has been one of Bollywood's best producers for a long time. When I became an actor, like everyone else, I also had a check-list of who all I wanted to work with, and his name was part of that list. I am happy that he gave me an opportunity to work in one of his biggest films. I hope I haven't let him down.

On Aishwarya's looks at Cannes this year

Aishwarya is beautiful; I am her husband, and I think she's perfect at whatever she does.

On making her comeback' to Bollywood

As a colleague, and as an admirer of her work, I am very happy that she is acting again. When Aaradhya was born, she wanted to dedicate her time to motherhood, and when she was ready to work again, she did that.

On being a good father

I think you should ask Aaradhya that. I can't blow my own trumpet, and say that I am a great father. But it is up to my daughter to rate me. She loves me, and I think that's the best thing. Every morning, she comes and hugs me, and tells me that she loves me; what more does a father want?

On Aaradhya taking up acting in the future

I don't think she understands what cameras are right now. She is only four. She has seen us on TV sometimes; the first couple of times she didn't understand what was going on, but she is starting to understand that her parents and grandparents are actors. But still, she is too busy playing with her dolls and watching cartoons.