Parent to eight-year-old Aaradhya, Abhishek Bachchan on playing a father in Breathe 2, and the importance of character-building for the web
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; July 7, 2020)

"One of the most significant aspects of long-form narration — as in the case of a web show — is the amount of time that must be devoted to character-building," says Abhishek Bachchan. For his role of a psychiatrist dealing with the kidnapping of his daughter in Breathe -  Into The Shadows, Bachchan had ample discussion, debates too, with director Mayank Sharma.

"Since we were not confined to a time window, we focused [on building] characteristics for Avinash, and [deciphering] how he would react in a situation. There are character traits that could be used later [in the show]. For instance, in one scene, Nitya [name of his wife's character] and Avinash see their daughter after a long time on an iPad that they receive. While Nitya's reaction is maternal, Avinash doesn't react. There was thought put into why he wouldn't be dramatic. He is a weighted person. As a psychiatrist, he is accustomed to dealing with bad news, and it takes a lot to faze him," Bachchan tells mid-day of the show that releases on Amazon Prime Video on July 10.

The second part of the series, that also features Amit Sadh, has him father a young daughter who meets an ill fate. Bachchan agrees that being a parent to Aaradhya, eight, had him draw from experiences while enacting the role. "Ten years ago, I would have performed this part based on conjecture. Now, as a dad, [I] could understand the bond and the depth of a child's emotions," he signs off.