Abhishek Bachchan says relationships, not strategy, shape his films

During the promotions of Raja Shivaji, Abhishek Bachchan opened up about how emotional connections and personal relationships often influence the films he chooses. Speaking to India Today, the actor said he has never approached his career in a calculated way and instead prefers collaborating with people he shares a genuine bond with.

When asked if there had been any other film apart from Raja Shivaji that he had agreed to without reading the script purely because of his relationship with the makers, Abhishek admitted that relationships have always guided his choices as an actor.

“All of my films. I only do films on relationships. That’s the kind of person I am. I need to be very, very comfortable. I would not do a film just for strategic reasons. I am not built like that. I can’t manage that,” he said.

The actor further shared that comfort and emotional security matter deeply to him while working on a project. Speaking about collaborating with Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza on Raja Shivaji, Abhishek said the atmosphere on set felt like home.

“I am somebody who needs to be very comfortable where I work, and with them (Riteish and Genelia), it’s home. It’s like doing a home production for myself. But I only do films where there is a personal connect,” he shared.

Abhishek also reflected on the unique bond between a director and an actor, calling it one of the most important relationships in filmmaking. “For example, if it’s a director that I might not have known before, I will spend that time building that bond. I think it’s a very special relationship between a director and an actor. An actor is essentially just telling the director, ‘Here is my soul, take care of it.’ You have to have that faith. And I can’t approach that in a cold, calculating manner,” he said.

Calling himself an emotional decision-maker, Abhishek added, “So for me, all my films are based on emotion and the decision is an emotional decision.”

During the conversation, the Refugee actor was also asked if the success and reception of Raja Shivaji had opened doors for him to explore more Marathi films in the future. Responding to this, the actor said he does not believe in categorising cinema by language.

“I have never said no to anything. But I don’t like to pigeonhole all these things like Marathi cinema. We are film actors. We work in cinema, and Indian cinema is all encapsulating. And if it’s something that inspires us, we would be very happy to do it,” the 50-year-old actor said.

However, he jokingly added that Riteish and Genelia may have now raised the bar too high for future filmmakers approaching him with Marathi projects. “Obviously, you have to be very comfortable and feel like you are going to be taken care of. And they both have spoilt me. So, whoever comes next with a Marathi film is going to have to live up to their expectations,” Abhishek concluded.

Raja Shivaji was released in theatres on May 1.