Abhishek Bachchan, son of Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, has spoken candidly about the challenges he faced at the beginning of his career. Despite his family's legacy, his path to the film industry was not easy.

Bachchan revealed that directors were initially hesitant to launch him, despite the anticipation surrounding his debut. He recalled that filmmakers were apprehensive about the responsibility of launching Amitabh Bachchan's son. According to Bachchan, the directors felt the pressure and expectations associated with his surname were daunting.

Before his actual debut in "Refugee" (2000), Bachchan was slated to appear in "Aakhri Mughal," where he would play the son of Dilip Kumar. Bachchan remembers his father telling him that it took a decade for him to share screen space with his idol, Dilip Kumar, and he was getting the opportunity in his first film. He was told to learn as much as he could from the master. However, "Aakhri Mughal" was ultimately shelved. Bachchan said the film was shelved due to budget constraints, as the director, JP Dutta, did not want to compromise on his vision.

Before landing his debut role, Bachchan faced multiple rejections. He collaborated with ad filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra on "Samjhauta Express," and they approached Amitabh Bachchan to produce it, but he rejected the script. JP Dutta later approached him at the Filmfare Awards for a role in a film about a Mughal descendant, but that project also didn't materialize. Eventually, Dutta offered him the lead role in "Refugee" opposite Kareena Kapoor, which marked both of their Bollywood debuts.

"Refugee" had an average performance at the box office, but both Bachchan and Kapoor received positive reviews. However, the initial years of Bachchan's career were marked by a string of unsuccessful films. Despite giving earnest performances, he struggled to find his footing in the industry.

Bachchan considered quitting acting due to the setbacks. He recalled telling his father that he felt he had made a mistake and was not achieving what he wanted. Amitabh Bachchan advised him to keep working hard and that he was improving with every film.

Bachchan's career began to change in 2004 with the release of "Yuva" and "Dhoom". He won his first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for "Yuva". Despite facing further ups and downs in his career, Bachchan has established himself in Bollywood with acclaimed performances in films such as "Guru" (2007).