Actor Abhishek Bachchan’s film Ghoomer has hit the silver screens today. Directed by R Balki, it also stars Saiyami Kher and Angad Bedi. The film tells the tale of a specially-abled female cricketer and her courage in the face of all odds, with a determined coach (played by Abhishek) and a supportive lover by her side. Ghoomer recently premiered at the 14th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. The Free Press Journal caught up with him for an exclusive chat. Excerpts:
Ghoomer is out today in theatres, are you nervous?
I wasn’t, but now I am getting nervous. I always get nervous before my releases, till today. I think it is important, one should feel nervous which depicts that it matters.
From Paa to Ghoomer, how has your camaraderie evolved with filmmaker R Balki?
I think from Paa (2009) till now, he has come at ease with me a lot. He is comfortable in displaying his emotions. Whenever there was an opportunity to push the emotional quotient, he used to hold back, He likes to be very subtle on celluloid. In that aspect, Ghoomer is Balki’s most commercial film. He looks more confident. He has become a bit more emotional. In fact, I too became more comfortable in front of the camera with him.
How did you take a risk with Ghoomer to come out in the theatres?
If you make a good film, then it will work in cinemas. There’s no rocket science to it. Cinematic history proves that the films that had worked were because of the content and not because of stars. That pattern would never change. We all have to make good films.
You did Breathe: Into the Shadows on OTT that was hugely successful. How do you see the change?
The digital platform had evened the playing field. Today, your standard has to be international, you can’t think from a standard perspective for localised audiences. You have to make a project for the world platform without losing its DNA. It is a far more intimate medium which you can enjoy on your televisions or phones. Cinema is more about community viewing hence content is becoming more important.
Could you elaborate further?
If people think that me or Saiyami being big stars and are outshining on OTT, it is a disservice to the medium and our craft too. We all just have to be authentic to what we do. We have to make something that is engaging and entertaining. At the end of the day, if you give a hit film or a show, you will get another job. Let’s not over intellectualise things.
How do you take rejections in terms of commercial failures?
If you aren’t viable at the box office, you won’t get work. Being underrated as an actor doesn’t solve the purpose if tickets aren’t being sold. Greatest of the actors at times can’t get an opening on a Friday. I choose a film which I want to see as an audience.
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