Abhishek Bachchan: Nothing is above the box office

Manmarziyaan has been declared a hit and Abhishek Bachchan is on cloud nine. The suave actor was recently in Hyderabad to launch a watch collection by Omega, when we caught up with him for a chat about films and his fashion choices. 

Your character, Robbie, in Manmarziyaan, felt familiar, and yet was fresh and emotionally layered. Now that the film has come out to such great reception, what’s the feeling? 

I am feeling great! When you work hard for a role and receive so much love, you feel on top of the world.

It seems that sometimes, box office returns overshadow a film's qualitative value. How do you feel about this? 

To me, there is nothing above the box office. I believe it to be the most important thing for any actor. At the end of the day, when an audience member buys a ticket, you owe them their money’s worth. Box office success is the biggest criteria of all. 

So, you subscribe to the hype around the 100-crore club? 

No, I'm not saying that. I am saying that if a film is made, it should be successful. If people are investing their money in a film, they should get it back, and most importantly, the audience has to be entertained. 

In the climax of Manmarziyaan, Robbie lets Rumi go. Would you have done the same in real life? 

No, I wouldn’t have done that. But then again, that’s what acting is all about -- letting you to do things that you wouldn’t otherwise. 

What was it like to work with Anurag Kashyap? 

I think he is brilliant. The collaboration was one of the happiest professional experiences I’ve had. It was such a pleasure to work with him because he is so gracious and so giving as a director. 

What’s the average day of Abhishek Bachchan like?

You just get up and go to work. It is as simple as that. You try to squeeze out some time for your family. It is difficult to get time together, as everyone is working. My mother is busy in the Parliament, my father is busy shooting, Aishwarya is busy shooting. It gets challenging to find time, but if I have this baby on my wrist (points to his watch), it’s easy to manage time.

Apart from watches, what other accessories do you like to wear? 

As far as I can remember, watches have always been my favourite accessory. A good, statement-making watch is the best accessory. 

Would you classify yourself as a brand-conscious person? 

I am not a fan of that term. For example, this watch belongs to a brand, but I don’t wear it just because of the brand. I pay attention to how it’s made, and what the company stands for.