Abhishek Bachchan was nearly on the verge of quitting Bollywood when he was stopped by his illustrious father, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, who imparted advice that the younger actor follows even today.
Despite having starred in award-winning films such as ‘Yuva’ and ‘Guru’, while tasting commercial success with movies such as ‘Bunty Aur Babli’ and the ‘Dhoom’ franchise, Abhishek has struggled to find a place for himself in Bollywood with disasters to his credit that include movies like ‘Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon’, ‘Om Jai Jagadish’, ‘Umrao Jaan’ and more.
In a recent interview, Abhishek confessed he almost gave up on doing films, and even took a hiatus until he found his footing. However, it was his father who offered him a piece of advice that encouraged the younger star to stay and continue to try in the film industry.
“To fail on a public platform is very difficult. There was no social media back then, but I read via media that some were abusing me while some said that I do not know acting,” Abhishek said in an interview with RJ Siddharth Kannan. “At one point in time, I felt it was my mistake that I came into the industry as whatsoever I was trying, it was not working. I went to my dad and said maybe I am not made for this industry.”
The actor recalled his father telling him: “I never brought you up to be quitter. Every morning you have to wake up and fight for your place under the sun. As an actor, you are improving with every film.” Amitabh further advised him to take up every role coming his way and just concentrate on working.
The younger actor took it to heart and returned in 2018 with ‘Manmarziyaan’ that was critically loved. He followed it up with a breakthrough role in last year’s Amazon Prime Series, ‘Breathe: Into the Shadows’, which was also appreciated.
Abhishek’s most recent release has been ‘The Big Bull’, which released on Disney+ Hotstar. The film is based on the life on Indian stockbroker Harshad Mehta’s and his 1992 financial scam. The Ajay Devgn produced project has largely been panned by critics.
Abhishek has a few other projects in the pipeline, including ‘Bob Biswas’ and ‘Dasvi’. A third part in the ‘Breathe’ franchise is also in the works.
