Refreshing to see films being made on father-daughter bond: Abhishek Bachchan on ‘Be Happy’

Mumbai, Mar 8 (PTI) Actor Abhishek Bachchan says he has consciously chosen films like his last release “I Want to Talk” and his upcoming film “Be Happy” as they depict the father-daughter relationship, an aspect he feels hasn’t been widely explored in Hindi cinema.

In both, “I Want to Talk”, directed by Shoojit Sircar, and choreographer-turned-filmmaker Remo D’Souza’s “Be Happy”, Bachchan plays the role of a single father.

“I don’t remember too many films that are made on the father-daughter dynamic. And what happens in a family’s life if the mother isn’t there? In this film, the father-in-law, son-in-law, and granddaughter cope with that situation. The void left by the mother figure not being in somebody’s life is huge.

“But to see a dynamic in which the father has to step up and try and fill that void, I thought that was interesting. We don’t have too many films that speak about that, so that was very refreshing and nice. We also realise nobody can ever replace a mother; you try and do your best. Every parent wants to do whatever they can in their power and a bit beyond that to fulfil their wishes and their desires,” the actor told PTI in an interview.

Packed with sharp wit and bittersweet moments, “Be Happy” is billed as a poignant tale of a devoted single father called Shiv (Bachchan), navigating life’s highs and lows with his wise-cracking yet deeply affectionate daughter, Dhara (Inayat Verma).

Bachchan said his real-life experiences with 13-year-old daughter Aaradhya Bachchan enriched his portrayal of Shiv.

“As actors, you’re always trying to find something that you can emotionally latch on to, and you do that with all your films. So, all your films are personal. But it just makes it that much easier if you can draw a parallel to your life or if there’s an emotion over there that you have experienced,” the 49-year-old actor added.

“Be Happy” reunites Bachchan with child actor Verma, his co-star from the 2020 comedy-drama “Ludo”.

Sharing her admiration for Bachchan, Verma said the “Guru star” paid attention to understanding the nuances of the script.

“Abhishek bhaiya used to teach me many things. In one of the scenes of ‘Be Happy’, I had two dialogues in and Abhishek bhaiya had a lot of dialogues. Abhishek bhaiya and I would rehearse, and he would read his entire script. I would tell him, ‘Don’t say the entire script, just give me the last cue, and I’ll say my dialogue’.

“Abhishek bhaiya explained it to me so well and said, ‘What is this behaviour, Inayat? You have to read the full script’. I was like, ‘I’ve read the full script, I’m reducing your work’. He is a very knowledgeable person,” Verma said about the “Guru” star.

“Be Happy”, also featuring Nora Fatehi, Nassar, Johny Lever and Harleen Sethi, will premiere on Prime Video on March 14.

The film is produced under the banner of Remo Dsouza Entertainment Pvt Ltd by D’Souza’s wife, Lizelle Remo D’Souza.