Just a day after the 25th anniversary of Abhishek Bachchan’s 2000 debut film Refugee comes another milestone. On July 1, it’s completion of 20 years since the release of another Abhishek movie. Ram Gopal Varma’s political thriller Sarkar premiered in cinemas on this day back in 2005. On the occasion, Abhishek chats to SCREEN about working with Varma on the film, and facing the camera with his father, legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, for the first time.
It’s 20 years of Bunty Aur Babli and Sarkar, which means 20 years of you working with Amitabh Bachchan. How was it like doing a scene with him for the first time?
Sarkar was the first time I faced the camera with my father, although Bunty Aur Babli released first. Right before we left for the outdoor shoot for Bunty Aur Babli in Varanasi, we shot for six days for Sarkar in Mumbai. Facing the camera with him for the first time was terrifying. But I have wonderful memories, especially with Ramu, one of my favourite directors. The way he adapted The Godfather was just so fine-eyed. It’s one of my favourite films.
I remember Ramu called me to watch a rough line-up where I watched the first five minutes and I thought I’m done. It was a close-up of my father looking up into the camera from a saucer he’s sipping tea from. No dialogue, nothing, he just looks up. That one shot summed up the character and the power he wields. What a performance! It was a huge learning experience.
Another one of your father’s films, which has completed 50 years since its release this month, is Hrishikesh Mukerjee’s Mili, in which your mother Jaya Bachchan played the titular role. Do you have any memories of watching that film?
I haven’t seen Mili for a good 10 odd years. I must go revisit it again. When I was a kid, I used to not like watching my mother’s films because I used to find them very sad. I used to watch them with my sister (Shweta Bachchan), who ended up crying and I’d get into trouble because everybody would think I must’ve done something.
After I became an actor and revisited a lot of films, I found Mili to be brilliant. It’s unbelievable how the great Hrishikesh Mukherjee would take such a human story and tell it so dramatically without being dramatic. Mom was obviously brilliant, but I thought my father had the more difficult role because he didn’t have any of the crutches that the title role had. Mili is a classic. Wow, 50 years man! Time’s flying.
