Abhishek Bachchan reflects on his career’s turning point with Mani Ratnam’s Yuva; says, “It boosted my confidence as an actor”

Abhishek Bachchan, known for his diverse and memorable roles in films like Guru and Bunty Aur Babli, Raavan and Dhoom, recently highlighted Mani Ratnam’s Yuva as a pivotal moment in his career. In a candid conversation, he described Yuva as his best performance, marking a significant turning point. He also reflected on his working relationships with co-stars Vivek Oberoi, Ajay Devgn, and Rani Mukerji, emphasizing the camaraderie and professional respect that enriched the filming experience and contributed to the film’s success.In an interview with Times Now, Abhishek recalled how director and friend Shaad Ali approached him for a meeting with Mani Ratnam. Initially, Abhishek couldn’t believe Mani wanted to cast him and assumed the filmmaker was only trying to connect with father, Amitabh Bachchan, through him. He said, “I thought he wanted to get in touch with dad through me.” To his surprise, Mani stated during their meeting that he was considering casting him as Lallan Singh. Abhishek was baffled by how simply Mani narrated the complex character to him.He shared, “After he told me the story and my character, he said, ‘I forgot to mention the most important thing. Would you like to work with me?’ I just laughed and told him what an honour it would be to work with him. I’m thankful I got Yuva at a time when I really needed it. It boosted my confidence as an actor. I’ve evolved with Mani.”Abhishek also spoke about his relationship with co-stars Ajay Devgn and Vivek Oberoi, but especially appreciated Rani Mukerji, who played his wife in the film, for providing him the opportunity to shine. He said, “I got a lot of help from my co-stars, especially Rani who plays my wife. A character can flourish if it has the ambience and space conducive to growth.”He shared that all the co-stars spent a lot of time together and became “one big family.” He thanked his co-stars for their support, saying, “My performance has little to do with my abilities. If it’s effective, it’s because of the way Mani wrote the character.”Yuva tells the story of three young men from very different social backgrounds, and how one fateful incident on Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge changes their lives forever. The film became Abhishek’s breakthrough performance, earning him the Stardust Award for the Actor of the Year – Male for his performance.Also Read : 20 Years of Yuva: ‘Traffic Signal’ was the working title; the bottle-breaking scene was not shot in Hindi as Ajay Devgn’s daughter Nysa was unwell; Tamil version happened, thanks to Vivek Oberoi’s accident