Abhishek Bachchan says he, Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor can experiment with roles today as 'audience is more accepting'

Abhishek Bachchan has explored diverse roles in his recent projects. Whether it's an alcoholic and bitter cricket coach in Ghoomer or a serial killer in Breathe: Into the Shadows, or just a dad doing what's best for his girl in Be Happy, he has strived for diversity. The actor feels this variation is a sign of the times and not just limited to him. In a candid chat with HT, the actor opens up on the current state of cinema in India and how actors have benefitted from it. (Also read: Abhishek Bachchan says daughter Aaradhya treating him 'just as a parent' keeps him sane: 'At home, you're not a celeb')

Ahead of the release of his new film, Be Happy, Abhishek spoke about how it is a good time to be an actor in India. "This is a very interesting time as an actor where you are getting films that are different from what has been done in the past.. You don't have to be just slotted in a particular image," the actor said.

Abhishek Bachchan says OTT changed the game

Talking about how things have changed over the years, boosted by the arrival of OTT, Abhishek explained what led to this diversity: "Cinema goes through phases. 90s is when we had the advent of satellite TV. That brought in a new exposure to Indian audiences so cinema adapted and it became what we called NRI-friendly because Western culture was being viewed with an Indian lens. In the last 10 years, with digital streaming platforms coming in, the world has become a platform now. Somebody who watches Be Happy gets to watch The Marvelous Mrs Maisel or a Tom Clancy show, all at the push of a button. For them, it's equal. When that happens, subjects change and content changes."

Abhishek, who has won acclaim for his roles in recent films like Dasvi and Ghoomer, added that on OTT, the demand from a lead actor is much different from what it is in theatres, allowing actors to experiment. "On OTT, the requirement from your leads is very different to cinema. (On OTT), I need you to complete watching the film or the show. How do I engage you? By doing a damn good job. If anything about that movie is not interesting, you're gone. What is my requirement in the movie theatre? That's where a star comes into play. Am I willing to get up, get dressed, take my family, commute, park, buy the ticket and the concessions, and sit in the theatre to watch a movie? There's a different requirement there. On OTT, the emphasis is solely on being as authentic and true to the character and material. Neither are better or worse," he added.

‘Hrithik and Shahid are doing diverse work’

Giving an example of his contemporaries like Hrithik Roshan and Shahid Kapoor, Abhishek said that everyone is doing more diverse work now as the audience is accepting of it. "This also influences cinema. We have come to a time where you can try a variety of different things. If you are talking about my contemporaries, Hrithik did a Super 30, which is completely opposite to his image, and he does a War and a Vikram Vedha. There is huge variety. You have Shahid, who does a wonderful variety of different films from Haider to Deva. The generation after us is doing different cinema and different kinds of films. That's because the audience is more accepting and more open to it," said Abhishek.

Be Happy, Abhishek's new film, is directed by Remo D'Souza, and also stars Nora Fatehi and Nassar. The film, a story of a father who has to reluctantly learn dance in order to help his daughter fulfil her dream, releases on Amazon Prime Video on March 14.