'I've Been A Puppet In Shoojitda's Hands'

'Shoojitda's prep was unique and a nice, refreshing change for me.'
'In the three to four months of preparation that we did, I think we only read two scenes.'

'We spent two, three months where he would just talk to me about life, philosophy, spirituality, and a lot of things, which I slowly realised was him trying to get into my head and understand the kind of person I was.'

Abhishek Bachchan gives us a career-best performance in his new film, I Want To Talk, where we see him with never-seen-before candour.

He looks back at the film and tells Subhash K Jha, "Hopefully, for the next one, I can do something that I might not have done before."

Abhishek, that career-defining performance as a man who won't let death win, where does all the pain come from?

Thank you very much. I hope every actor gets to do work that is going to be career-defining with every film they choose to do.

That's the attitude with which you should approach each and every one of your films.

I'd like to do that with every film of mine.

As far as where does the pain and suffering come from, we're actors. This is what we do.

We listen to the direction given to us by our director, in this case, Shoojitda (Sircar).

The entire credit I have to give him. I've just been a puppet in his hands.

How did your equation with Jayant Kriplani happen?

Jayant is a wonderful person and an even better actor. He's so natural and effortless. It made watching him perform a pleasure.

When you're working with such accomplished and wonderful actors, it makes your job so easy.

I think the characters are so well-defined and such polar opposites that it makes it very easy.

Jayant and you bring a lot of humour to grim situations.

Keeping Shoojitda's perspective on film-making, he likes to find something funny, something that you can chuckle at in the most serious of situations.

I really think that, you know, Dr Deb, Jayantda's character, is the perfect foil for my character, Arjun Sen.

For all the drama that Arjun likes to do, he's as serious about it.

It's such a wonderful board to bounce off.

And he made me look so good.

You share a real bond with your screen daughter, played by Pearl Dey.

I was surrounded by wonderful actors.

When you have that kind of talent around you, it makes you look good, whether you deserve to or not.

Well, yes, Pearl has done a great job.

Not just Pearl, even Ahilya, who plays the older version of my daughter, has done a wonderful job and I thoroughly enjoyed working with both of them.

I cannot take credit for the chemistry at all.

It's entirely up to them and Shoojitda for creating that.

Is this a new beginning for you?

I don't know how to answer that.

You look for new horizons.

You try and push your envelope.

You want to look at doing something more challenging for the next one.

That's what we try to do and try to achieve.

As far as new beginnings and all that, I leave that to my learned audience.

They're the final deciders of what is good and what is bad. I humbly respect and accept what they have to say.

Hopefully, for the next one, I can do something that I might not have done before.

Did you refer to your own bonding with your daughter Aaradhya?

I think every actor always, whether you know it or not, but I think subliminally, somewhere reference your own life.

I think the natural process of thought is to think, what would I do in this situation?

But the credit of the chemistry has to go entirely to Shoojitda, Ahilya and Pearl.

Did you meet the real Arjun Sen?

I met him about 10 to 15 days into the shoot. He came to LA, where we were shooting and spent a lot of time with me.

A wonderful guy and, you know, he lived up to be the true inspiration that his life has been.

Very insightful, very facetious, great sense of humour, very, very, witty.

He refuses to see the downside of life.

He's very positive and I really, really, enjoyed being with him.

Is the real Arjun happy with the reel Arjun?

I think that's a question best asked to him. I'd like to believe he's proud and happy with my work.

How much prep did you undertake?

Well, Shoojitda's prep was unique and a nice, refreshing change for me.

In the three to four months of preparation that we did, I think we only read two scenes. We did not do the conventional script readings.

We spent two, three months where he would just talk to me about life, philosophy, spirituality, and a lot of things, which I slowly realised was him trying to get into my head and understand the kind of person I was and therein trying to mould how he wanted my Arjun Sen to think and to behave.

It was a wonderfully new approach. It was not very direct prep, so to speak.

It was more about getting into the mindset and being comfortable being this person.

What is your takeaway from this experience?

I think when you have the persistence and tenacity that Arjunda has, by just the actions of what he does in life, I think it becomes very easy to portray it.

His journey is very inspirational.

Once you buy into that, it makes it very easy to portray.