In an industry that largely functions on the out-of-sight-out-of-mind premise, Abhishek Bachchan took a gamble when he opted for a two-year-long sabbatical. As he kicks off his second innings with Manmarziyaan, the actor says the decision of taking a hiatus has paid off in the form of "clarity of thought" and "an informed approach".

"I was surprised why I hadn't done this before," smiles Bachchan, emphasising that amid the frenetic pace of work, it is important for an artiste to "pause, take a step back and reflect. It allowed me to introspect about the kind of work I wanted to do. The time-out helped me gain perspective."