Big B Blockbuster: When Jaya Bachchan became the messiah of Amitabh’s sinking career, the story of Shahenshah was written 38 years ago
News India Live, Digital Desk: There came a time in the career of Bollywood’s ‘Angry Young Man’ Amitabh Bachchan when his films were continuously failing at the box office. Amidst that dark cloud of failure, a film came in the year 1988 which put Big B back on the throne. That film was ‘Shahenshah’. But very few people know that the script of this superhit film, which revived Amitabh Bachchan’s career, was not written by any professional writer, but by his wife and a famous actress. Jaya Bachchan Had written.
Got the shield of ‘Shahenshah’ in the worst phase of his career
Amitabh Bachchan had entered politics in the mid-80s, but after the bitterness he got from there, when he returned to the screen, his comeback was not that explosive. His films were flopping and critics started declaring the end of his career. At such a time, Jaya Bachchan weaved a unique story, in which there was a hero who became a timid police officer during the day and a ‘Shahenshah’ fighting against oppression at night. This ‘vision’ of Jaya Bachchan proved to be a masterstroke for Amitabh’s career.
In the dark nights… when Big B’s iconic dialogue echoed
‘In relation, we seem like your father, my name is Shahenshah’ – this dialogue still remains on the lips of every cinema lover. The film’s director Tinu Anand says that Jaya Bachchan not only wrote the original story of the film, but she also gave a lot of input regarding the dual personality of the character. There was also a lot of discussion about the film’s famous iron chain costume, which weighed about 14-15 kg. Despite being heavy and suffering from back pain, Amitabh tried his best to bring this story written by his wife to life on screen.
Box office history and blockbuster comebacks
When ‘Shahenshah’ was released in theaters on 12 February 1988, the frenzy was such that tickets were booked several weeks in advance. The film broke records at that time and became one of the biggest hits of the year. The success of this film proved that the magic of Amitabh Bachchan is not over yet. Even today, after 38 years, ‘Shahenshah’ is remembered for the combination of Jaya Bachchan’s excellent writing and Amitabh Bachchan’s tremendous acting.
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