It’s been a fulfilling year-and-a-half for Abhishek Bachchan with films like Ludo, The Big Bull and Bob Biswas and the web series Breathe 2. Dasvi, yet another straight-to-streaming release for junior Bachchan, arrives today on Netflix and JioCinema and has Abhishek playing a politician, who after being put behind bars, seeks to clear his Class 10 exams. The film also stars Nimrat Kaur and Yami Gautam Dhar. The Telegraph chatted with Abhishek on Dasvi and why he will not ‘shy away’ from talking about his films anymore.

Dasvi seems to be a clutter-breaker and a film that seems to have given you a lot to do. What made you want to do this film?

I strongly believe in the film. It came along when I was looking to do something lighter than what I had been doing at that time. I was in the middle of a very intense phase as far as my films were concerned, and I wanted a break from that, and do something in a lighter vein, and Dasvi came along. I always look for a good story, and more importantly, a story that I really want to be a part of. Dasvi fit that bill.

What was it like being a man who, at least from the trailer, seems to have a lot of shades?

It was wonderful, I thoroughly enjoyed it. He’s such a fun guy to play. He’s gregarious, he’s larger than life, he’s overtly confident, he’s a bit loud, he’s a bit arrogant... but he has a soft interior, he has a certain element of innocence about him.

“I’m so excited to share Dasvi with all of you. It’s a film very, very close to my heart. I really believe in this film and what it has to say.... I’ve always been very reticent to speak about my films, borderline apologetic about my work. People call it humility or lack of confidence in what I’ve made. I want to change that! I want to be unapologetic about this film.... I’ve always been told ‘let the work speak for itself’. I’m sure Dasvi will. But, I too, want to manifest the positivity around this film!” This was a very candid and honest note that you put out on social media the day when Dasvi’s trailer released. What prompted that?

It’s a frame of mind that I am in. We have worked very, very hard on this film. I watched the film and I know we have made a very good film. And then I said, ‘Hey! You know what? I am done trying to be a bit shy about my work’. Now I want to go out there and put out that positive energy and say, ‘We’ve made a good film!’

Abhishek Bachchan with Amitabh Bachchan

In a job that requires one to self-promote constantly, do you think you have done less?

Well, it’s 22 years in the business for me and I am still talking to you, so I guess I am all right! (Laughs) I have also said I want to be front-footed from now on because I feel I have been a little too introverted about my work. I want to manifest some positive energy.

Your father has been very effusive in his praise for the trailer of the film. Is he critical of your work?

As a family, we see each other’s work, give our opinion on it, discuss it. Till now, he’s only seen the trailer because he’s out of town shooting. I will show him the film as soon as I can.

He also put out a post recently calling you his ‘heir’...

The line that he wrote is from one of my grandfather’s (Harivanshrai Bachchan) poems. I was incredibly touched and moved. What more would a son want than an endorsement from their father, especially if your father happens to be your idol and hero?

You have played quite a few challenging characters. Where would you play Dasvi’s Ganga Ram Chaudhary on the toughness scale?

It was quite tough to maintain his energy levels, his confidence, his swagger... everything was quite challenging. Plus, I haven’t played a Haryanvi kind of a guy before this. I had to get that accent right and make it look effortless.

After Ludo, The Big Bull and Bob Biswas, Dasvi is your fourth streaming release in a little over a year. Now that movie theatres have not only opened up but are also doing roaring business, couldn’t Dasvi have been a big-screen release?

Well, I would have loved to see this on the big screen. But I take solace from the fact that because it’s streaming simultaneously on JioCinema and Netflix, thanks to their subscriber bases, there is a huge audience that this film is going to be available to. I have worked on the digital medium for a long time and I understand the penetration that it has. It’s wonderful that so many people are going to get to see the film.

Is this the most creatively fulfilling time in your career?

I have always been happy with the work that I have done. But yes, it’s a very exciting time to be in this career, in any capacity, because of the diverse work that’s happening.

To end on a lighter note, how did you fare in the 10th standard?

I was an above-average student who was always more interested in drama and sports. I wasn’t bad in studies, but I wasn’t great either.