Vidhu Vinod Chopra had made ‘Eklavya: The Royal Guard’ with Amitabh Bachchan which released in 2007. But did you know that Chopra had actually approached Bachchan for a movie many years ago. The ‘12th Fail‘ director’s first meeting with Big B was actually when he was working on the sets of a Hrishikesh Mukherjee film with Rekha. Infact, Chopra had approached Big B only because of a recommedation from Mukherjee.
Chopra recalled his first interaction and meeting with Bachchan in a chat at the Kellog Management School and confessed that he was quite rude to Big B.But at that point of time, it was more important for him to use Big B’s washroom in his van which was much talked about in those days. “Making a film with him wasn’t as important as peeing in his personal washroom. I went to meet him in a bus. At that time, the word around town was that Amitabh Bachchan has a toilet in his vanity van. I was very rude in that first meeting, I told him, ‘My name might not be very impressive, but my film is, can you see it?’ He saw that anger, and he agreed.”
Vidhu then told him that the theatre is booked only till 5. However, that day Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Bachchan and Rekha were busy working and there was also an argument happening. It was around 4pm and Vidhu felt that now he won’t be able to come and watch the film. “A little while later, I was sitting outside, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Amitabh Bachchan. He asked, ‘You have the booking till 5? Let’s go’. He asked if he could bring a friend along with him, and the friend was Rekha. He was angry because of the argument earlier, and we all got into the famous trailer, ” recalled Chopra.
That’s when Vinod thought it was the right time to live his dream and asked Bachchan if he could pee in his trailer. After Big B watched the film, he told Chopra that they should work together. But that’s when he got a contract from the Government that came with Rs 5000 and a chauffeured car. Hence, Chopra decided to delay the Bachchan project. “I told him, ‘Amit, we’ll have to delay our project because I have something better’,” said the producer-director.
That made Big B enquire, “Kaka?” thus asking Vinod if he decided to make a film with Rajesh Khanna. “I said, ‘No Kaka, DD has told me I can do anything’. He said, ‘But you can do anything with me’,” replied Vinod Chopra.
However, they ended up working together only many years later on ‘Eklavya’. Chopra had gifted Big B a Rolls-Royce car for tolerating his temper tantrums.
Chopra recalled his first interaction and meeting with Bachchan in a chat at the Kellog Management School and confessed that he was quite rude to Big B.But at that point of time, it was more important for him to use Big B’s washroom in his van which was much talked about in those days. “Making a film with him wasn’t as important as peeing in his personal washroom. I went to meet him in a bus. At that time, the word around town was that Amitabh Bachchan has a toilet in his vanity van. I was very rude in that first meeting, I told him, ‘My name might not be very impressive, but my film is, can you see it?’ He saw that anger, and he agreed.”
Vidhu then told him that the theatre is booked only till 5. However, that day Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Bachchan and Rekha were busy working and there was also an argument happening. It was around 4pm and Vidhu felt that now he won’t be able to come and watch the film. “A little while later, I was sitting outside, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Amitabh Bachchan. He asked, ‘You have the booking till 5? Let’s go’. He asked if he could bring a friend along with him, and the friend was Rekha. He was angry because of the argument earlier, and we all got into the famous trailer, ” recalled Chopra.
That’s when Vinod thought it was the right time to live his dream and asked Bachchan if he could pee in his trailer. After Big B watched the film, he told Chopra that they should work together. But that’s when he got a contract from the Government that came with Rs 5000 and a chauffeured car. Hence, Chopra decided to delay the Bachchan project. “I told him, ‘Amit, we’ll have to delay our project because I have something better’,” said the producer-director.
That made Big B enquire, “Kaka?” thus asking Vinod if he decided to make a film with Rajesh Khanna. “I said, ‘No Kaka, DD has told me I can do anything’. He said, ‘But you can do anything with me’,” replied Vinod Chopra.
However, they ended up working together only many years later on ‘Eklavya’. Chopra had gifted Big B a Rolls-Royce car for tolerating his temper tantrums.
