Sanjay Leela Bhansali On Amitabh and Abhishek

by Subhash K Jha

"He's one of the finest humanbeings he has ever meet. He works 20 hours and day and yet remains charged and passionate about his job. In Black he plays a man who lives on the edge. It required a great deal of energy. Mr Bachchan had it, and how! No director's portfolio is complete without working with Amitabh Bachchan.

Every filmmaker has so much to learn from him. I learnt so much from him about the craft and spontaneity of acting. He's a very inspiring artiste. Doing Black I understood he was a maestro. His complete understanding of all aesthetic arts—from music to theatre to photography to cinematography and screenplay—makes him a complete actor.

He's so well-versed with all forms of art that he can delve deep down within himself to find references from every scene and emotion. The ups and downs of life have been handled by him with such dignity. That quality shows in his performance. When his fans and admirers—and I'm one of them-- say Amitji is the God of acting and he deserves an Oscar for Black I think they want to tell him he has reached international standards of performance.

I agree with that view completely. If nothing else then Black must be acknowledged for Amitabh Bachchan's brilliance and excellence. It won't return for a long time. He has performed his character with such flamboyance and élan.

It isn't over-the-top acting, as some cynics have said. It's a passionate confirmation of life, no less. Whether it Black or Sarkar,it's fascinating to know that even today filmmakers are devising projects with him in mind. I think that makes him the greatest star-actor of our country. I've been his diehard fan from childhood.

Ever since I started making movies it was my dream to work with him. Even my first film Khamoshi was written for Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan. But at that point of time he had taken a break from acting, and I felt with a baritone like his, he 'd never come back with a role that required him to be mute.

For the fear of rejection I never approached him. But let me tell you, during Khamoshi I had already started to plan Black.. I've realized there's no actor like him in Indian cinema. I've three idols Lata Mangeshkar, Birju Maharaj and Amitabh Bachchan. And I'm proud to say I've worked with two of them.

"I haven't worked with Abhishek... But he's a wonderful guy and a fine son, and he's evolved as an actor. From Bunty Aur Babli where he's bubbly to Sarkar where he's so intense.... For me Yuva is a turning point for Abhishek. In that complex role I realized Abhishek had arrived.

No actor could've done a better job. He uses his eyes beautifully on screen. He had to fulfil the responsibility of being Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan's son without losing his identity. How gracefully he managed to come into his own! Now he's liberated and passionate on screen.

The beauty of being Abhishek Bachchan is that he lives up to his parents' image without being their clones. He's a warrior. For four years he has withstood the vicious criticism in the wake of his flops and emerged as a powerful force. Look at him in Sarkar.

He stands tall and so sensitive. I think he has inherited his inner strength from his father. When we see father and son perform we can see Abhishek's reverence and yet it isn't blind awe.

Mr Bachchan too gives Abhishek the space to express himself without undermining his histrionic powers to let his son shine. Watch them dance with Aishwarya in Kajrare (Bunty Aur Babli). They both give their best, and are yet so complementary.