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

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.

It took him three years after his debut to truly shine, playing a brash gunda in Mani Ratnam’s Yuva. This film proved to be a turning point, with Mani Ratnam later steering Abhishek’s career through crucial junctions with Guru and Raavan.

Post Yuva, Abhishek consistently delivered career-defining performances. His quietly confident ACP Jai Dixit in Dhoom, the charming Bunty in Bunty Aur Babli, the complex character in Sarkar, the emotionally charged performance in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and the con artist in Bluffmaster — they all added depth to his filmography. Despite such varied performances, the magic wand of widespread acclaim seemed just out of reach for the actor.

Then arrived the ‘Guru’ of all performances, where Abhishek effortlessly swept accolades. Guru remains the best performance of his career. However, the success of the Mani Ratnam film didn’t last long for Abhishek and he took various missteps with films like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag and Drona. He quickly bounced back with commendable performances in Delhi 6, Paa, and Raavan. Although these films didn’t set the box office ablaze, he earned praise for his acting prowess.

Anurag Kashyap led Manmarziyaan was Abhishek’s last film to find box office success, along with winning the hearts of critics. In this film, he shared the screen with Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal, both portrayed energetic and bold characters. Amid their firecracker-like acts, Abhishek distinguished himself with a nuanced and measured portrayal. Anurag Basu’s multi-starrer Ludo and Tushar Jalota’s Dasvi also earned him a lot of praise.

As one glances through the actor’s filmography, a thought arises: Is there such a thing as a bad Abhishek Bachchan performance? Sure, he has made some questionable film choices, but he has also consistently proven to be a competent performer.

But being the son of a legendary star is no small feat, and Abhishek faced comparisons with his father throughout his career. Despite bearing the burden of legacy, the actor has a natural ease with which he carries himself, both on and off the screen. He is slowly avoiding the burden of being starkid and it is shown in the choices of his projects. His last two outings – Ghoomer and Dasvi – both were rooted dramas, devoid of any glamour. While they didn’t become a darling of critics, they surely brought praise to Abhishek for his effortless performances.

“My father was the biggest, is the biggest and will remain the biggest star. I don’t aspire to be like him. I will never be able to reach the stardom that my father has achieved. I would like to make my own path,” Abhishek said in an old interview with Rediff. Acceptance and action seem to be the motto of Abhishek’s professional life and he isn’t stopping anytime soon.