In an age where the boundaries between creators, critics and audiences are increasingly blurred, Abhishek Bachchanson of megastar Amitabh Bachchanshared a candid and insightful view of the evolving ecosystem of content and criticism.
He questions the importance of traditional criticism
Speaking at the Critics’ Choice Awards 2026, Abhishek He notes the explosion of digital content and how it has reshaped performance and feedback.“Every day we see millions of reels where the creators do it. They play our dialogues, our dances, our action, our comedy. Often as good as the original, if not better. Today, they have enough power to think that their heroes, idols are as good as they are,” he said.He raised a pressing question about the space critics occupy today, “Why should a newspaper editor or a channel director hire you as their in-house critic, unlike anyone else? What do we have to do, or be, to stand out from the crowd? How do we make sure we’re the most worthy candidate chosen to act in a movie, or to be a movie critic? Be original. Be the only one. Offer a point of view or a performance that no one else can do. Please excuse my somewhat cynical and grumpy side. humor me Be original.”
“I answer in front of the audience”
At the same time, the actor emphasized the importance of criticism in his career, and admitted that his understanding of it has evolved over time.“I think we often misunderstand criticism. We tend to see it as something negative, but it shouldn’t be. I work in a commercial art, and if I expect people to spend time and money on my films, then I answer to them. I’m open to scrutiny, judgment and criticism,” he said.
From denial to learning
Reflecting on his early years in the industry, Abhishek admitted that accepting criticism was not always easy.“At the beginning of my career, I didn’t always feel that way. Like most actors, I thought everything was going to work out perfectly. But when reality hits, it hits hard. I went through phases of denial where I felt like critics didn’t understand my work or didn’t have the ability to judge it,” she shared.However, over time, his perspective changed. “I realized I was looking the wrong way. I started to see that critics are not my opponents. They know the way. If I believe I know how to drive, why not listen, learn and improve? Their opinions helped me build my career as an actor. Only a fool would ignore them.”
