Why Abhishek Bachchan’s road to success has been so bumpy: Burden of legacy or bad choices?

What:  Is it tougher to be a megastar or to be the son of one? Abhishek Bachchan, part of Bollywood royalty as the son of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, has had to grapple with this question throughout his 24-year career in the Hindi film industry. With over 70 films under his belt, it seems odd to still refer to him as a ‘starkid.’ Over the years, Abhishek has shown his acting chops, but the road to recognition has been quite bumpy for him.

Furthermore: Despite being the son of Big B, Abhishek faced a rocky start in Bollywood. No director wanted to take the risk of launching him, fearing the immense expectations that came with being the son of Big B. “I think I met all the directors I could have met, and they all very respectfully declined saying, ‘We don’t want the responsibility of watching you,” Abhishek said at the Hindi Actors Roundtable on Galatta Plus.

We heard: In spite of facing many rejections, Abhishek landed his first role in JP Dutta’s Refugee, along with Kareena Kapoor, who also made her acting debut with the film. This was a dream start for Abhishek. The actor, however, struggled to capitalise on this initial success and made a series of film choices, such as Tera Jadoo Chal Gayaa, Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, Om Jai Jagadish and the incorrigible Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon, that pigeonholed him into boy-next-door roles.

Get the best viral stories straight into your inbox!