Abhishek Bachchan Reflects on Doubts About His Acting Career

Abhishek Bachchan, who currently has several films in the pipeline, recently opened up about a challenging phase in his career when he doubted his decision to join the film industry. In an interview with Galatta Plus, Abhishek recalled a candid conversation with his father, legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, during a period when his films were underperforming.

He shared, “I went through a phase in my career when a lot of my movies weren't working. Critics were panning my performances, no matter who I worked with. I say ‘who I worked with’ because I worked with some of the biggest directors, hoping that okay, they'll teach me stuff and rectify stuff that I haven't managed to do. But nothing was happening. In a weaker moment, which is embarrassing for me to think of now, I went to my dad and said, ‘We need to talk. I think I made a big mistake. I’m not cut out for this because no matter what I do, it isn't working. I've tried all kinds of cinema, genres, and filmmakers. I'm just not able to do it. Maybe it's time for me to be honest with myself and say, ‘Hey, you’re not cut out for this. You're not good enough. Find something else to do.’”

Abhishek revealed that his father reassured him with valuable advice, saying, “I’m saying this to you as your senior, not as your father. You're nowhere near the finished product. You have a lot of improving to do. But I'm noticing improvement in every film of yours. There's a hidden good actor within you. How good you become is up to you and how hard you want to work. The only way you're going to be able to polish your craft is by working. So go out there, whatever film you get, just sign and work.”

Following this advice, Abhishek adopted a proactive approach to his career. He took on a variety of roles, regardless of their prominence, and worked relentlessly to build his confidence and skills. Reflecting on the process, he said, “That’s what I did. I just went out. I didn’t care what kind of role it was – supporting, secondary, tertiary, I did everything until I found the confidence in myself. And then until, from the box office perspective, I could deliver at the box office and people started banking on me as a leading man again.”

Abhishek also acknowledged his father as his “reference point,” noting that Amitabh Bachchan himself had faced initial struggles. Amitabh had endured a string of box office failures before achieving stardom with Prakash Mehra’s 1973 blockbuster Zanjeer, which marked the beginning of his iconic Angry Young Man era in Hindi cinema.

Abhishek’s career trajectory mirrors that perseverance. After achieving success with R Balki's Paa in 2009, which earned him a National Award as a producer, he experienced setbacks with films like Raavan, Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, Game, Dum Maaro Dum, and Players. However, he bounced back with successful ventures like Rohit Shetty’s Bol Bachchan (2012), Vijay Krishna Acharya’s Dhoom 3 (2013), and Farah Khan’s Happy New Year (2014).

Abhishek’s journey serves as a testament to resilience and the importance of learning and evolving in one’s craft.