Abhishek Bachchan is taking a moment to look back on more than two and a half decades in Hindi cinema, reflecting on how far he has come since stepping in front of the camera for the first time. The actor made his debut opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan in Refugee, and in a recent conversation, he opened up about how his relationship with acting and with himself has evolved since then.
Speaking about his growth, Bachchan explained that the biggest shift over the years has been a growing sense of comfort, both in front of the camera and in his own skin. He recalled that his early years in the industry carried a certain restlessness, a kind of nervous energy that came with being new to the craft. That has since given way to a steadier sense of self, which he says has translated directly into clearer decision-making about the work he takes on. He noted that over roughly the last five to seven years in particular, he has developed a much sharper sense of what he does not want to do — and, by extension, a stronger conviction about what he does want.
On the subject of insecurity, something that comes up often in conversations with actors about longevity in the industry, Bachchan drew a distinction. He said that while he has never doubted his instincts about which projects to choose or how to carry himself professionally, he does still experience the more universal actor’s anxiety about whether he can pull off a role convincingly — an uncertainty he believes is shared by virtually everyone in the profession.
Since his 1999 debut, Bachchan has built a filmography that includes Guru, Yuva, Bunty Aur Babli, Bluffmaster! and the Dhoom franchise, alongside a run of more recent titles — The Big Bull, Bob Biswas, Dasvi, Ghoomer, I Want To Talk, Be Happy and Kaalidhar Laapata — that have met with mixed commercial results even as he has continued experimenting with varied, often unconventional roles.
Looking ahead, Bachchan will next be seen in King, the Shah Rukh Khan-led action entertainer directed by Siddharth Anand. The film also brings together an extensive ensemble cast featuring Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Arshad Warsi and Rani Mukerji, positioning it as one of the more high-profile Hindi releases on the horizon for Bachchan and his co-stars alike.
