Abhishek Bachchan Recalls Quitting College Amid Amitabh Bachchan’s Bankruptcy: ‘He Borrowed Money…’

Abhishek Bachchan, a seasoned entrepreneur, recently opened up about his journey in business and how it influenced his acting career. Speaking to CNBC TV18, the actor revealed there was a time when he signed films solely to fund his sporting ventures, but he has since changed that approach, prioritizing creativity over financial necessity.

“I have been pitched several businesses. In the early days, when you were naive, you would get impressed by these numbers. And having run 2-3 successful sporting teams, you realise that projections are just that, they are just on paper,” Abhishek explained. Reflecting on his Pro Kabaddi League team and other ventures, he admitted that his earlier strategy of financing business ventures through his acting earnings took a toll on his creative work.

“Thankfully, I have moved on from that thought process. I realised, about 2-3 years into kabaddi and football, that signing innumerable films to finance my love for sport and the business of sport was not something which I was very happy doing,” he said. While this approach was financially sustainable, Abhishek found it creatively stifling.

“It is sustainable, it might not be a lot of fun. And then what happens is that you stop making creative choices, you start making financial choices. And I think in a creative field, that’s harakiri,” he said, adding, “I wanted my films to be a creative choice. Not because I had to fill the bank balance to support my, at that point of time, hobby.”

Abhishek now takes a more structured approach to his investments through his “family office.” He shared, “I started up my family office, streamlined the finances, investment portfolios etc. It’s taken me about seven years, but thankfully, now we have a balance sheet and allocated funds through my family office that I can run a sporting business.” He further emphasized, “It is a passion for me but it is not something I am willing to lose money on and I will turn heaven and earth upside down to make sure it’s profitable.”

Abhishek also recalled a pivotal moment from the 1990s when he quit college in Boston to support his father, Amitabh Bachchan, during a financial crisis. Speaking to Ranveer Allahabadia, he said, “He had to borrow money from his staff to put food on the table. I just felt morally obliged to be with him. I called him and I said ‘You know, dad, I think I want to leave college half-way and come back and just be with you, try and help you in whatever way.’”