Laugh at self, says Abhishek

After a long wait fans of Abhishek Bachchan will once again be able to see him on the big screen with the release of Manmarziyan this Friday. In an interview with Benita Chacko, Abhishek Bachchan talks about what has kept him away and why he chose to return with this triangle love story.

We will be seeing you back on screen after a gap of two years. So what has kept you away this long?

I took a self-imposed sabbatical. I just reached a stage where I felt I was getting a bit complacent about my work and I just wanted to re-evaluate that and just re-energise and come back a lot more focused. I didn’t think the way I was working was going to be good for my career.

So will we be seeing a re-energised Abhishek Bachchan on the screen?

Yes. It is a new version.

What made you choose Manmarziyan?

Anurag Kashyap. He’s the sole reason for choosing the film.

What has been your experience of working with him?

It’s been absolutely beautiful. One of the happiest professional experiences of my life. I really enjoyed making this film.

On social media you have often been a victim of trolling and we have seen you dealing with it well. How do you deal with this negativity and does it affect you?

I have not been a victim of trolling. Social media is an open platform where you make yourself available for comment and that is one of the functions of social media. If you are on social media you have to be prepared for the brickbats as well as the bouquets. You can’t expect just one. If somebody has a platform and a right to say something about you, you also have the equal right to answer that and clarify, if need be. I would not call it being a victim because that is not the way I look at myself. If somebody is going to say something rude about me and I feel like answering back, I will answer back. So that is not what a victim does. This whole debate, and it is quite a rampant debate right now because everywhere I have been going everyone has asked me about this, the more attention you give it the worse it is going to get. It is also a personal choice how you want to approach it and how you decide to react to it. The negativity does not affect me at all.

What would be your tip to others who go through it too?

Learn to laugh at yourself Some of these guys are really funny.

What is the funniest thing you have read about yourself?

There are too many. I believe there is a parody account of mine which is very funny. I have seen some of the tweets and he/she is very good.

Do you have any fond memories of this city?

I have many fond memories of Bengaluru. As a child, I came here quite often with my father when he was filming. In my professional life, I have shot two of my films here- Om Jai Jagadish and Phir Milenge. And now of late, I come here with my sports teams- my football and kabaddi team. So a lot of great memories. It is a beautiful city.