Abhishek Bachchan says he was locked inside room with Kareena Kapoor: 'I got excited...'

The year 2025 is a major one for Abhishek Bachchan as he celebrates 25 years since his acting debut. His first film, Refugee, released on June 30, 2000, not only marked the beginning of his career but also introduced Kareena Kapoor to Bollywood.

Reflecting on that memorable day, Abhishek shared a mix of nostalgia, nervousness, and excitement in a recent interview with The Indian Express’ SCREEN.

Rain, Blessings, and a Grand Premiere

Abhishek recalled that on the release day, he had just returned from a film shoot in Manali. Despite the heavy rains, the premiere was held at Liberty Cinema in Mumbai. Abhishek travelled to the venue with family and friends, including his uncle Ajitabh Bachchan and Sikandar Kher. On the way, he stopped at temples for blessings. Director JP Dutta hadn’t arrived yet and asked Abhishek to manage things until he got there,something that made him nervous, being new to the industry. But when he saw the crowd and the support from people in the industry, including a comforting hug from Yash Chopra, he started to feel more confident.

The Premiere Night and a Memorable Morning

After the screening, a celebration dinner followed. The night ended with Abhishek and Sikandar Kher driving around the city and stopping at Marine Drive at 7 a.m., taking in the moment. He was supposed to return to Manali the next day for his shoot, but due to bad weather, his flight got cancelled, giving him two more days in Mumbai to enjoy the post-release excitement.

Locked in a Projector Room with Kareena

The most exciting moment came when Abhishek and Kareena decided to visit local theatres to see the audience's reaction firsthand. “I got excited and called up Bebo. She said, ‘Let’s go to the theatres.’ So we went to Gaiety Galaxy and Chandan Cinema, which unfortunately is not there anymore. It was terribly exciting! We had to be locked in the projector room because the audience got to know we were there. I still get gooseflesh talking about it,” he said.

Abhishek’s memories remind us how special the beginning of a journey can be, and how far he’s come in the last 25 years.