Shoojit Sircar on Abhishek Bachchan: ‘Saw innocence of his mother in him’

Director Shoojit Sircar was in Melbourne, Australia, when he met Abhishek Bachchan. During a casual conversation or an ‘adda’, as Sircar describes it in Bengali, the ‘Piku’ director noticed a reflection of purity and innocence in Abhishek’s eyes that reminded him of his mother-actress Jaya Bachchan.

Although Sircar had met Abhishek several times before, on football grounds (a shared passion) and the sets of his father, Amitabh Bachchan’s films like ‘Piku’ and ‘Gulabo Sitabo’, the Melbourne meeting felt different. “I saw a very different side of Abhishek. He poured his heart out. I saw the innocence of Jaya Bhadhuri (Bachchan) in him. Her purity and expressions were reflected in him. We are all fans of Jaya Bhadhuri. She is one of the finest actresses. That’s when I realised I had found my Arjun Sen for ‘I Want To Talk’. During the shoot, Abhishek completely surrendered to the character,” said the National Award-winning filmmaker.

‘I Want To Talk’ is inspired by the life of Arjun Sen, a marketing executive in California diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. He was given just 100 days to live. But with his zeal for life and determination to defy death, Sen endured and survived over 20 gruelling surgeries. While watching the film, people will be reminded of Sircar’s other masterpiece, ‘October’. Like the Varun Dhawan-starrer, this film also focuses on moments filled with unspoken emotions. Long silences and subtle dialogues draw the audience in, warming their hearts. Sircar’s ability to portray complex relationships, especially father-daughter bonds (like Piku), shines once again.

Prosthetics could have been an easy choice for Abhishek in this role. However, Sircar mentioned that Abhishek chose a more challenging route, gaining weight naturally for the part. This added authenticity to Sen’s physical transformation, complementing the emotional depth of his journey. “I believe that after ‘I Want To Talk’, writers and directors will start writing roles for Abhishek. What greater reward can there be for a director? I have a feeling he’s going to receive widespread accolades for this character. Abhishek has delivered an unbelievable performance,” said Sircar, who was in Kolkata for a special screening of the film on Wednesday.

Themes of death frequently recur in Sircar’s films, including ‘October’, ‘Piku’, ‘Gulabo Sitabo’ and now ‘I Want To Talk’. Yet, he often wraps morbidity in satire or subtle humour. “Death is a recurring theme in life. It’s an everyday reality. I want people to take it easy. If you view death through a satirical lens, it can make you fear-free. Life comes with problems, but we must face them patiently,” Sircar said.