Actor Abhishek Bachchan has carried one piece of advice from Shah Rukh Khan with him for years, long before he made his acting debut.
It is simple, but perhaps easier said than done: if you are doing a film, you have to love the film you are doing right now. Looking back at that conversation, Abhishek says the same thought continues to shape the way he approaches his work.
Because if that is not my favourite film, then why am I doing it? In an interview with BBC Asian Network ahead of King, Abhishek went back to his younger days, when Sundays meant cricket at filmmaker Aditya Chopra’s house. Uday Chopra, Hrithik Roshan and Sikandar Kher were among the people he would play with. The video was liked by Hrithik. Abhishek then recalled a conversation he had with Khan before he entered the film industry. He had asked the actor a fairly straightforward question: “Which is your favourite film? So, what I am doing right now has to be my favourite. What has happened in the past is the past. I don’t think about it. Right now it is King. King is directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, with Siddharth and Mamta Anand’s Marflix Pictures also backing the film. The action thriller marks Suhana Khan’s theatrical debut. She plays a young protege who is trained by Shah Rukh Khan’s veteran assassin. The film also stars Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Abhay Verma, Jaideep Ahlawat and Arshad Warsi. Recent reports suggest that film will also mark the reunion of SRK with Kareena Kapoor Khan. She will film a dance number with the actor. Abhishek was most recently seen in Kaalidhar Laapata on ZEE5. The Madhumita directorial was the Hindi remake of her Tamil film KD A Karuppu Durai, also directed by her.
Shah Rukh Khan was also around during that period and, as Abhishek remembers it, became an “elder brother” to the group. He told Abhishek, “My favourite film is the film I am doing right now.
He has remained close to Shah Rukh and says the superstar has been a constant source of support. Speaking about his involvement in his career, he said Khan has “literally taken personal responsibility several times now, including in King as well.”
