Abhishek Bachchan on what SRK did for his career: 'Literally took personal responsibility'
Ahead of King, the actor says SRK has backed his career several times
Dubai: Abhishek Bachchan says Shah Rukh Khan has stepped in to support his career more than once, including on their upcoming film King.
Speaking to BBC Asian Network ahead of the film's release, the actor described Khan as someone who has "literally taken personal responsibility several times now, including in King as well."
He also shared a piece of advice Khan gave him years ago, which he says still shapes how he approaches every role.
Sunday cricket and an 'elder brother'
Abhishek traced their bond back to his younger days, when Sundays meant cricket matches at filmmaker Aditya Chopra's house. Uday Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and Sikandar Kher were among the regulars.
Khan was part of that circle too, and Abhishek said he became an "elder brother" to the group. The two have stayed close ever since.
'Why am I doing it?'
The advice came from a simple question. Abhishek asked Khan which of his films was his favourite.
"My favourite film is the film I am doing right now. Because if that is not my favourite film, then why am I doing it? So, what I am doing right now has to be my favourite. What has happened in the past is the past. I don't think about it," Abhishek recalled Khan telling him.
For both of them, he said, that film right now is King.
It's a lesson Abhishek has spoken about before. In a 2022 interview with ANI, he said Khan had explained the idea to him "in the most precise manner", and that he had followed it ever since.
Stepping into villainy
In King, Abhishek reportedly plays the film's main antagonist, a change from the softer roles he has taken on recently in films such as I Want To Talk and Kaalidhar Laapata.
According to a source quoted by Deccan Chronicle, Abhishek was initially hesitant to play a negative character, and it was Khan who persuaded him to take on the role.
The two actors have shared the screen before, in Karan Johar's Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) and Farah Khan's Happy New Year (2014). This time, they will be on opposite sides.
About King
Directed by Siddharth Anand, King is produced by Gauri Khan, Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand under Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures.
The film marks the first time Khan shares the screen with his daughter, Suhana Khan. The ensemble cast also includes Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Arshad Warsi.
King is set to release in cinemas on December 24, 2026.
