"There’s no one quite like Pa"- Abhishek Bachchan

On Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday Abhishek Bachchan looks back with awe and affection. Filmfare records the moments 

By Raghuvendra Singh

An ideal son, Abhishek keeps telling Pa that he should work less now and rest, “I am his son; I want him to rest and take care of his health. He has three grandchildren—Navya Naveli, Agastya and Aaradhya— he should play with them and teach them all the great morals and principles that he taught my sister Shweta and me. But I am his fan as well, so I also want to see him more and more on the big screen and TV.” He goes on to complain, “Pa doesn’t take care of his health. I want him to be careful but I also know that he is not going to listen to me.”

Amitabh Bachchan’s reel and social life is definitely large and colourful. But he has maintained a simple and straightforward personal life. This can be sensed by the way he has brought up his kids, Abhishek and Shweta. Recalling his childhood, Abhishek remembers “When I was small, he was Pa for me. He never brought his stardom home. At home he was never treated like, ’Oh, he is The Amitabh Bachchan.’ At home, he was only Pa. As a kid, I thought all fathers must be like him. We were never given specials treatment because we were Amitabh Bachchan’s children.”

On entering adolescence, Abhishek realised his Pa is somewhat different, but he was still not aware of Pa’s stardom. According to Abhishek, “When I went with him in front of the public for the first time, I saw people’s love for him. But I felt everyone’s dad must be received that way. It is difficult for people to understand that I have always seen people surrounding him and respecting him.” When Abhishek finally became aware of his Pa’s stature, he felt very proud. He smiles with pride, “There is no one quite like Pa and there never will be.”

Amitabh Bachchan’s birthday has always been a special occasion for Abhishek Bachchan. He may be in any corner of the world, but he always tries to be with Pa on his birthday. Walking down memory lane, Abhishek says, “The most beautiful birthdays were when our entire family used to be at home together. Dadaji and Dadima were there. Dadaji used to write a poem for everyone’s birthday. He never gave greeting cards, he used to gift poems. I remember, during our childhood, we used to wait for Dadaji to come out of his room and recite a poem to us.” After a brief pause, Abhishek returns to the present, “The best thing on a birthday is to spend time with the family. Everyone sits together and chats; what else do you want? I think Pa is also the happiest spending his birthday this way.”

Big B was already a grandfather (nanaji), to his daughter’s children, and now he has become a grandpa (dadaji) once again with Aaradhya. But Abhishek refuses to see him in any other image. “For me, he will always be Pa. I cannot see him as anyone else. When my daughter, Aaradhya, grows up, she will see him as a grandfather, but I cannot see him as a grandfather.”

Link-http://www.filmfare.com/interviews/theres-no-one-quite-like-pa-abhishek-bachchan-1443.html