Abhishek Bachchan discusses putting on 20 kg for Bob Biswas, and why he didn't go the prosthetic way for the weight gain

The trailer of  Bob Biswas , starring Abhishek Bachchan as the infamous hitman from Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani (2012), renewed interest in the fictional character when it released last week.

Ahead of the film’s release, Abhishek talks about putting on 20 kg for the role, why he did not go the prosthetic way for the weight gain, and shooting in Kolkata, a city that feels like home. Edited excerpts from the exclusive interaction below:

Bob Biswas is your second film in a row after  The Big Bull  where you have gone for a completely transformative approach to your character, including the slouch, the  girth, and the accent. How did you achieve that?

What accent? We were very very clear on this. We didn’t want Bob Biswas to have a pronounced Bengali accent. Such distractions take away from the performance. But yes, you’re right about the slouch — I had to practice the Bob Biswas walk for weeks — and of course the girth. I had to put on almost 20 kilos for the role.

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Are you serious? But that is dangerous after the age of 40. Isn’t losing that weight very difficult at this age?

It is dangerous. But I did manage to lose the avoirdupois — pardon my French — after gaining it. This time, I did the weight gain and weight loss under strict medical supervision. So I did not suffer any medical side effects. When  I had put on weight 15 years ago for Guru, I had done it unsupervised. And I suffered some serious health issues.

I remember Kamal Haasan had screamed into a plastic bag for a role. He damaged his vocal chords permanently.

Fortunately, I didn’t damage anything permanently when I gained and lost weight for Guru. In the 15 years that have passed since then, the film industry has become a far more professional place. No one is expected to take unnecessary risks for a role.

Why was it so important for you to put on weight for this role?

Sujoy Ghosh, who produced Bob Biswas, his daughter Diya who directs the film, and I sat down to discuss the character. We imagined Bob Biswas as portly. So my character needed a potbelly. Sujoy and Diya suggested prosthetics. But I was completely opposed to it.

Why?

Because prosthetics, no matter how professionally done, always look fake. At least they don’t feel right for me. It always feels like an artificial part of my performance. I needed to feel Bob Biswas’s belly, and not just pretend with a pillow tied to my midriff. Nowadays, audiences catch on to any kind of fakery in a performance.

After Guru and The Big Bull, Bob Biswas is your third transformative character. Is it easier to play a role when you change your look?

It is important for the actor to surrender to his character completely. Any artificial props are immediately caught out. Today’s audience watches cinema from the world over. They know when an actor is faking it.

Thanks to OTT, your competition are global characters, not only Bollywood colleagues. Is that a fair assessment?

I  don’t believe in competition. I never allow myself to look anxiously over my shoulder at what my co-star is doing.

But you cannot deny that it (competition) exists?

Of course, it does. So does one-upmanship, jealousy, and rivalry. I just don’t want to indulge in them. Or even think about such negative things.

You have worked with Sujoy Ghosh. Now, In Bob Biswas, it is his daughter. Did you feel you were carrying on a lineage?

I don’t know about that. But I did feel very emotional watching Diya at work. I had done cameos for Sujoy’s films. But we haven’t got down to doing a full-fledged film as yet. Bob Biswas is written by Sujoy. When I was offered the film and told his daughter was directing, I didn’t even think twice. I just said yes without even reading through the script. To me, relationships have always mattered above professional interests.

Did Diya deliver the directorial skills that you expected?

Believe me, it is hard to believe Bob Biswas is her first film. She’s just 26, and so sure of what she wants from her script and actors, and how to get it. It is amazing how much talent these kids of today have.

Is it any different shooting with a  female director?

No. Male directors can be as sensitive, perceptive, and gentle as the script wants them to be. I’ve worked with women directors in the past, Farah Khan and Revathi. But I never looked at them as women directors.

What attracted you to Bob Biswas?

You know, I’ve always tried to pick roles that challenge me.

What makes Bob Biswas so special is that he is such a normal, regular guy. If you spotted him in a crowd, you wouldn’t be able to tell him apart from others.

This nondescript Everyman looks ordinary. And he kills people. That’s his job. If looks could kill… This film gives an entirely new interpretation to that phrase.

What was it like shooting in Kolkata for Bob Biswas?

I admit Kolkata feels like home. My Maa is a Bengali, and my Paa is considered the son-in-law of Bengal. They consider me their grandson. And it’s a huge honour for me to shoot in Kolkata whenever I can. It is very heartening to return to Kolkata. I shot in this city for Mani Ratnam’s  Yuva  in 2003. I’ve also shot for Rituparno Ghosh’s Antar Mahal in Kolkata. Then I did another Bengali film, Partha Sengupta’s  Desh, where I played my own mom’s son. Each time, I’ve been given a royal welcome here. It feels like coming home.

This seems to be an especially cluttered time for you workwise?

I wouldn’t call it clutter. Because I enjoy what I do. But yes, I have Bob Biswas. Then soon after that, I’ve another film  Dasvi , which I’m proud of. Then I’ve just shot in Chennai for a film that I’m producing.  I’ve also completed another season of the web series  Breathe .

Do you think the era of the star system is over now?

The love of stars will never wane. What would you call Tom Cruise? But yes, with the OTT emerging as a viable option for releasing films, audiences want to watch good content. They still love their stars. But they want to see them in good content.

Final question, do you think there will ever be another Amitabh Bachchan?

No. Never.

Bob Biswas will premiere on ZEE5 on 3 December.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

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