It was one of the few movies that I saw first day, first show. Refugee being the movie, I saw it primarily because it had Amitabh Bachchan’s son in it. At 24 years, he looked older for his age but showed some promise as an actor. To shift gears from “what’s his name” to “oh! Isn’t that Abhishek Bachchan”, it took him one movie and a spate of flops to come back to square one. Until 2004, the son of the legendary actor could not prove his mettle as an actor. Audiences and critics disliked him alike. But guess the man more steel in body than bones, because he refused to relent or give in.
Luck struck as a bolt of lightning and after Dhoom 2004, the man has not looked back. Banking solely upon his hard work and a talent that took time to blossom the man struck gold with movies that followed. Yuva saw play a goon with such finesse that you start doubting his sophisticated upbringing. Well, precisely that’s what acting is all about. There is a touch of realism to all his performances that now all the roles he does look tailor-made only for him or rather he makes tem look so. Holding his own movies like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Abhishek held on to his own and even though the movie bombed at the box-office and while his co-stars were busy gathering flak for incomplete performances the man managed to wow men and women alike. Little expected from somebody who started with a flash and continued as an ash, slaughtered by both critiques and the janta. Along came movies like Bunty Aur Babli, Sarkar, Dus and Bluffmaster which set the box-office’s cash register ringing. From being the doubtful sun of a legend, Abhishek finally came out of the shadow of his father when he shared screen space with him in movies like Bunty Aur Babli, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and the more recent Sarkar and its sequel Sarkar Raj. Both Sarkar and Sarkar Raj had him in meaty roles which clashed against the towering presence of his dad. But the seasoned and mature actor that he had become, he held on to his own and infact lead a many to contemplate who takes the cake away in the movie.
His award kitty is full but there seems to be no stopping him. Yuva (2003), Sarkar (2004) and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2005) are movies that won him the best supporting actor. But real and solo recognition came with Guru for which he won the best actor award. Extreme toil aptly rewarded, the recognition might have come late but now that it has it is here to stay. His fans now eagerly await the release of Drona, Dostana and Dilli 6. Happily married to former beauty queen turned actress Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek is a perfect amalgam of persona and wit, a reason that makes him a huge hit among his fans.
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