As Raavan turns 15, AB Jr reflects on the film’s legacy and how special the film was to him
Mani Ratnam’s Raavan clocks 15 years on June 18. Abhishek Bachchan, who played the modern-day Rama opposite Aishwarya Rai’s ‘Sita’, says the film holds a special place in his heart.
“Aishwarya and I did two of our most special films with Mani Ratnam. Guru was memorable on many counts —we got married the same year the film released. But Guru would have been special even otherwise,” he says.
Speaking about Raavan, Abhishek recalls it as one of the most demanding roles of his career. “We shot deep in the jungles. There were snake bites, insect bites, serious injuries. But it was all worth it. I think this was the most physically and emotionally challenging role of our careers. I’m sure Aishwarya would agree with me.”
On the film’s lackluster box-office performance, he adds, “The merit and quality of a film can’t be judged solely by how well it does commercially.”
Abhishek also confirms that he’s keen to share screen space with Aishwarya again. “We haven’t worked together since Raavan. We’ve been offered films — but not interesting enough. We don’t want to disappoint the audience. There were times we almost said yes to a project together. But now, I feel it’s about time. Don’t be surprised if you hear something soon.”
