Abhishek Bachchan has revealed that his daughter Aaradhya introduced him to Ariana Grande’s music after taking him and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to one of the pop star’s concerts during a family vacation.
Speaking to BBC Asian Network about his musical preferences, Abhishek said he went into the concert unfamiliar with Grande’s catalogue but came away impressed by her vocal ability and the devotion of her fans.
The actor said his own musical tastes lean heavily toward classic Hindi cinema. Kishore Kumar remains a personal favourite, while he also enjoys the work of composers including R.D. Burman, S.D. Burman, Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Bappi Lahiri.
Having a 14-year-old daughter, however, has exposed him to a different generation of artists.
Abhishek said Aaradhya regularly listens to contemporary stars including Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. He described his daughter’s musical tastes as eclectic, noting that she has also developed an interest in 1980s rock and bands including Bon Jovi, Van Halen and Metallica.
During the family’s summer vacation abroad, Aaradhya took her parents to see Grande perform live.
Abhishek admitted that he did not know any of the singer’s songs before attending the show but said he was stunned by the quality of her voice and the scale of her fan following.
The experience also changed his perspective on some of today’s biggest pop stars. Abhishek said older generations can sometimes be quick to dismiss artists such as Taylor Swift, but argued that many contemporary performers are exceptionally talented and produce strong music.
On the professional front, Abhishek was most recently seen in Riteish Deshmukh’s Marathi film Raja Shivaji.
He is next set to appear as an antagonist in Siddharth Anand’s King, starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role. The film’s ensemble cast also includes Suhana Khan, Deepika Padukone, Rani Mukerji, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Arshad Warsi.
King is scheduled for release on December 24, marking Shah Rukh Khan’s return to the big screen following his 2023 releases Pathaan, Jawan and Dunki.
