‘Intimidating’ Amitabh Bachchan said nobody cares about the background when his face is on a big screen: ‘You think anyone gives a sh*t?’ | Bollywood News
Amitabh Bachchan has been a superstar since the 1970s, and when the actor started the second phase of his career in the 2000s, he quickly regained his star status. In those days, Amitabh shot with director Apoorva Lakhia for the film Ek Ajnabee, and in a recent interview, the filmmaker recalled feeling “intimidated” while shooting with the legend. Apoorva also recalled that while shooting a scene in Bangkok, Big B reminded him that no one would care about what’s happening in the background if his face is in the frame.
In a chat with Friday Talkies, Apoorva shared that this was his second film as a director, and he realised during the shoot that Amitabh doesn’t go back to his van in between the shots, but sits outside and observes the proceedings. “And you are thinking what he must be thinking of you,” he said, and added, “It’s very intimidating.” He then recalled shooting a scene in Bangkok where Bachchan had to walk towards the camera.
“We shot the wide shot, then we shot the mid shot and we shot it twice, just for safety. Then there was a close-up and then a 100 mm lens (extreme close-up). We asked him to walk again and he asked why? So I said ‘sir, in the background there was a Thai guy who ran across the frame when I said action’. He said okay and we did one more. After the shot, he called me. He asked ‘what lens are you on?’ So I said 100 mm. He said ‘now imagine, you are in Chandan (theatre), 70 mm screen and Amitabh Bachcham is on 100 mm. You think anyone gives a sh*t about who walked in the background? Kisko padi hai haathi bhi peeche se jata hai? (Who cares even if an elephant walks by in the background)? But you got your shot?” he recalled.
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In the same chat, Apoorva said that he waited for months to give a narration to the star, but Big B couldn’t find the time, so ultimately, he was asked to give a narration during a flight from Mumbai to Jaipur. “Amit ji was going to shoot Eklavya in Jaipur. And they booked me the seat next to him so I can give him the narration on the flight. It was a business class seat and a one and a half hour flight. As soon as the flight took off, Amit ji went to sleep. Now I am thinking, how to wake him up? So I am getting up and touching his arm slightly while getting up so he wakes up,” he recalled with a laugh.
When they landed in Jaipur, Amitabh Bachchan asked Apoorva to stay the night and go back the next day. “He said ‘don’t worry, I will change your ticket’.” Amitabh Bachchan was staying in a two-bedroom suite so he offered one of the bedrooms to Apoorva, who was scared to even use the bathroom. “He had a two-bedroom suite so he gave me the other bedroom but in that bedroom, the bathroom was outside. So I was scared to go the bathroom also because Amitabh Bachchan could be walking by and smell something. So I didn’t go to the bathroom only. I mean Amitabh Bachchan was in the next room, he is god,” he shared.
Amitabh Bachchan and Apoorva Lakhia did not work in any other film after Ek Ajnabee.
