Abhishek Bachchan Reveals Harsh Criticism from Father Amitabh on 'Sarkar' Set

Abhishek Bachchan Recalls Being 'Destroyed' by Father Amitabh During 'Sarkar' Filming

Imagine your first major movie scene, acting alongside Amitabh Bachchan, who also happens to be your father. That was the reality for Abhishek Bachchan during the filming of "Sarkar," a day he vividly remembers.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Abhishek Bachchan shared his anxieties on the "Sarkar" set, admitting to stumbling through his scene due to nerves. The situation escalated when Amitabh Bachchan summoned him for a stern lecture in his car.

Recounting the incident, Abhishek Bachchan said, “The first time we shot together was for Sarkar,” he recalled. “Ramu [Ram Gopal Varma] said we’d do a few test shoots before I left to film Bunty Aur Babli. This was September 2004. On the very first day, I was panicking, drenched in sweat. He calls me, ‘Shankar,’ and all I had to do was turn around and say, ‘Ji?’ But I was petrified—I was literally shaking. He has that effect.”

After the shoot, Abhishek attempted to avoid his father by hiding in his vanity van, expecting Amitabh to leave first. However, Amitabh approached and invited him to ride home together.

The car ride home was filled with tension. Abhishek explained, “The entire ride was silent. He just kept staring straight ahead.” Upon arriving at their home, the staff retreated, leaving father and son alone. “He just sat there,” Abhishek continued, “and then, in this very slow, deliberate way, he turned to me. ‘Isiliye maine itne saal mehnat karke tumhe padhaya likhaya? Dialogue bolna aata nahi hai tumhe?’ (Is this why I worked so hard and educated you all these years? You can’t even deliver a line properly.) I felt like I had committed a crime. The way he looked at me—he just destroyed me.”

"Sarkar," a political crime thriller directed by Ram Gopal Varma, was released in 2005. Amitabh Bachchan starred in the lead role, with Abhishek Bachchan playing a supporting role. The film also featured Kay Kay Menon, Katrina Kaif, Tanishaa, Supriya Pathak, Kota Srinivasa Rao, and Anupam Kher.

Considered an adaptation of "The Godfather," "Sarkar" spawned two sequels: "Sarkar Raj" (2008) and "Sarkar 3" (2017). The film received widespread recognition, premiering at the New York Asian Film Festival and later being preserved in the American Academy of Motion Pictures library.