Amitabh Bachchan, the ‘angry young man’ in the 70s, was going through a rough patch in his career during the late 90s when Yash Chopra’s Mohabbatein became a ray of hope for him. Recently, filmmaker Nikkhil Advani revealed that the superstar changed only Re. 1 for doing Mohabbatein. He did so because Yash Chopra, who was making the film, paid him what he asked for Silsila in 1981.
Nikkhil Advani, who made his way into Bollywood during the 90s, closely witnessed the making of some big films during that era. Consequently, in his new interview with Mirchi, he recalled how earlier personal equation and bond was prioritized in the industry. To explain his point, he cited an example of the bond between Amitabh Bachchan and Yash Chopra.
He revealed that during the making of the 1981 film, Yash Chopra asked lead actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was at the peak of his career, about what pay he wanted for doing the film. During that time, Bachchan, who wanted to buy a house, shared his desire with the filmmaker and asked for a decent amount that Chopra gave.
Later, when the megastar was going through a rough patch in his career and faced a financial crunch, he signed Mohabbatein with the filmmaker. But, this time, when Chopra asked him what pay he would want, Big B just asked for Re. 1, referring to the help the filmmaker gave during Silsila.
Advani recalled, “During Mohabbatein, when Yash ji asked Amit ji how much he wants, Amit ji said, ‘You gave me what I asked for back then, this time, I’ll do the film for Re 1’. He actually did it for Re 1.”
Nikkhil explained how this gesture showcased the significance of loyalty and personal relationships within the industry. He also emphasized that today’s time is more about calculations.
Moreover, Advani shared his fond memories about the atmosphere at the Yash Raj Films set and shared Yash Chopra’s wife, Pamela Chopra, used to cook for everyone on the set. He said, “Pam Aunty (Pamela Chopra) would make food for us. She’d go around asking if anybody had any allergies. She would create menus. Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was made like that, Mohabbatein was made like that…”
Mohabbatein, directed by Aditya Chopra and backed by Yash Chopra, was among the highest-grossing films in 2000. Apart from Amitabh Bachchan, it featured Shah Rukh Khan, Uday Chopra, Aishwarya Rai, Jimmy Shergill, Jugal Hansraj, and more in significant roles.
