Abhishek Bachchan On Taking On Online Trolls With Panache

Charming, Well-spoken And Ever-ready With A Quip, Abhishek Bachchan Has Our Heart, Both On Screen And Off. Back With Another Commendable Performance With Dasvi, We Pick His Brain On What The Transition To Ott Has Been Like And Taking On Online Trolls With Panache

- Puja Talwar

Abhishek Bachchan exudes an easy-going charm both on screen and off. One of the most well-spoken and articulate actors there is, his sharp wit and sense of humour remain unrivalled. Although his surname spells power and stature in Bollywood’s hallowed halls, Bachchan Junior hasn’t let it weigh him down. Now, after 22 years in the industry, he’s recalibrating his career with Bachchan 2.0 — a phase he describes as nothing less than fulfilling.

One of the first mainstream actors to take the plunge into the OTT space — “They call me OTT ka Bachchan” — Abhishek earned much-deserved praise for Dasvi, his latest release on Netflix. Playing the rogue chief minister who finds himself studying for Class 10 exams in jail, he admits that his choice of films are instinctive.

“I react on a very broad-stroke kind of a level. I take on projects instinctively or emotionally, which works both ways,” Abhishek says. “I agreed to do Bob Biswas the moment Sujoy Ghosh mentioned it was his daughter’s directorial debut. I didn’t even wait for the narration. Similarly, when Dasvi came to me, I loved the character of Gangaram Chaudhary, who owns his space even when faced with difficulties.”

“Today’s audience is not interested in black-and-white characters. They want to see them grey. It makes them more tactile and realistic. I realise that the new generation doesn’t conform to the moralities that actors had 20 years ago. They want to see people who can achieve despite hurdles. There’s room for mistakes and to showcase your humanity. It’s these stories and ‘flawed’ characters that appeal to me.”