Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood, refers to the Indian film industry based in Mumbai (Bombay), is engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. With Indian cinema being an umbrella term that includes all the film industries, for example Tollywood, Mollywood, Pollywood, Ollywood and more in the country, each is offering films in diverse languages and styles. However, Hindi cinema is one of the largest centers for film production in the world.
The most popular commercial genre in Hindi cinema since the 1970s has been the masala film, which freely mixes different genres including action, comedy, romance, drama and melodrama along with musical numbers. Alongside commercial masala films, a distinctive genre of art films known as parallel cinema has also existed, presenting realistic content and avoidance of dominating musical numbers. Forth releasing film “I Want to Talk” is such a film which is slated to hit ‘Screens’ world-wide on November 22, 2024.
Lead actor of the film, Abhishek Bachchan shares how his daughter Aaradhya inspired him indirectly about this role, that-‘You are not ready to give up’. Ahead of the release of his film ‘I Want To Talk’, Abhishek Bachchan opens up on a thoughtful moment he had with daughter Aaradhya a few years ago.
The film revolves around a man with a disability who remains resilient despite the hardships he faces. Recently, Abhishek opened up about an incident from his own life that connects with the nature of his character and how he drew inspiration for his role from that exchange. Abhishek spoke about an incident with Aaradhya and how it connects with his new film.
Abhishek recalled a moment when Aaradhya, then a young child, was reading a children’s book with a line that struck a chord with him. The book’s character described the most courageous word in the world as “help,” because asking for help signifies the willingness to carry on and face challenges head-on. He said, “That means you are not ready to give up. I will do whatever it takes to carry on.”
Abhishek connects this ‘never-say-die’ attitude with his character Arjun, who also refuses to give up. “He is not afraid to ask for help,” the actor explained. “He is not afraid to go into the hospital. He is not giving up.”
The actor highlighted how Arjun embodies resilience, even when faced with a lifetime of hardships. “Somebody who has dealt with the things that he has dealt with and continues to deal with, it’s very easy to be fed up after 31 odd years and say ‘bahut ho gaya hai, abhi aur nahi karna hai’ (I’ve had enough, I don’t want to go on). But no, the fact that he is still at it, still trying… is what makes him truly courageous,” says the actor.
In the film, Bachchan plays Arjun, who is on the cusp of a life-altering surgery as he navigates a complex relationship with his daughter.
Abhishek also shares that working on ‘I Want to Talk’ is indeed a life-changing experience. He also says that Director Shoojit Sircar’s films are like “a breath of fresh air” from what is often made in the Hindi film industry. Working with the director on the upcoming movie “I Want To Talk” was a transformative experience.
Produced by Rising Sun Films and Kino Works, the slice-of-life drama is set to soon hit the screens worldwide. Bachchan is all praise for Sircar, known for films such as “Vicky Donor”, “Piku”, “October” and “Sardar Udham Singh”.
“Shoojit da represents a cinema that is so very different from what we make in the Hindi film industry and that’s a breath of fresh air. It’s nice once in a while to pause, take a breath and just feel something instead of just being dictated to all the time…
“The experience of making a film with him is very transformative, not just physically… It’s been a learning experience, life changing.” Sircar said “I Want To Talk” is based on his friend’s life story. “This is a slice-of-life film where relationships matter. Sometimes we regret we didn’t communicate; we didn’t talk our heart out. This film speaks about all those moments and the journey of the characters. It’s all moments stitched together of your entire life and documented in ‘I Want To Talk’,” the director added.
Abhishek said all movies should be an emotional challenge for an actor regardless of the subject matter. “It should push you, challenge you, give you sleepless nights. As artists, you need to push your boundaries. You need to try something that you haven’t done before. It has been a challenge, but a challenge that I enjoyed doing.”
His greatest takeaway from “I Want To Talk” was to be “fear free” and “do something different”, he added.
“It reassures you as an actor that there’s a little bit of space for everybody out there. I hope you all can find some sort of parallel in your own life. We’re all stuck in the rut of life, we’re doing what we’re doing, we’re enjoying. Some of us have got corporate jobs, some of us are artists, some of us do whatever we do.
“Life dictates to you what you should be doing and how you should be doing it. What’s nice about doing a film like this with Shoojit da is that once in a while you can stop and say ‘Hey, no, I can do something different, maybe I should try something different’. When that works out for you, there’s nothing more rewarding.”
While he loves doing traditional Indian films with the song-and-dance routine, the actor said it’s nice “to take a slight detour, a scenic route and try something different” once in a while.
“Whatever you do in life, it should be memorable. The success and failure of any endeavor in life, be it business, sports, films, it is not in your hands. What’s in your hands is that the memory associated with making whatever you’re doing. This film is way on the top of my filmography,” he added.
Bachchan, 48, gained weight for the role of Arjun. “I promise you from what you see. I’m not in this shape anymore. That is me and there isn’t any prosthetic,” he said. “Don’t ever put on weight for a film again. Trust me, at my age, it gets very difficult to lose it after a while,” he quipped.
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