Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan divorce rumours: When actor compared cancer to marriage; here's what he said

In an candid chat with 'I Want to Talk' director Shoojit Sircar, actor Abhishek Bachchan discussed his strategy to dealing with life's obstacles, his connection to his character in the film, and how humour has served as a coping mechanism.

Reflecting on his part as Arjun, a cancer patient given 100 days to live, Abhishek provided important insights about dealing with hardship and finding hope in terrible situations.

Abhishek recalls a memorable chat during the film's filming as the idea for the character, which is based on a real-life acquaintance of Shoojit Sircar's. “We were in the outskirts of Los Angeles, where we shot a part of the film, and he told me, ‘It’s not a very happy marriage, but it’s a marriage.’ And I found that’s such a nice way of thinking about cancer. I said, ‘Why do you say that?’ And he said, ‘Till death do us apart.’ I found that so amazing. You’re married till death do you apart. Why would you not want to delve deeper into a character like this?"

Shoojit, who was taken aback by Abhishek's biting sense of humour while filming, noted on how the actor's personality matched the part. Abhishek explained, “We’re both very facetious. Being facetious is trying to make light of a very serious situation. But a lot of the time, somebody who is being facetious is doing so because that’s their defense mechanism. Life is what it is. You realise very quickly that you don’t have the ability or the power to change too much about it. You have to learn to just cope with it. There’s a famous saying, ‘You can’t run from the wind, you just have to trim your sails and carry on.’"

Abhishek emphasised how positivity shapes his perspective on life. “Bhai, abhi yeh situation hai. Ya toh main roun, ya main haste haste jeewan kaatu (This is the situation. I can either whine about it, or I can carry on with a smile on my face). I believe in that. I like to look at the brighter side of life, as an individual. I’d like to believe that I’m a very positive person. Being negative isn’t going to get you anywhere, even if the situation is completely against you and the odds are completely stacked against you. If you’re positive about it, at least you see something hopeful."

He praised the character's path as inspirational and a personal reminder of thankfulness. "What am I concerned about, and why am I mourning my life? Look at what other people are going through," he remarked, reflecting on how the film helped him get a new perspective on life's challenges.

Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar produced I Want to Talk, which will be released on November 22, 2024. The film depicts the dramatic narrative of Arjun, played by Abhishek Bachchan, as he encounters a life-changing health crisis while dealing with deeply personal issues. The film, directed by Shoojit Sircar, promises to be a poignant study of perseverance, optimism, and humanity.