Amitabh Bachchan, who is regarded as Big B, is one of the most skilful and wonderful actors of Bollywood. After working for about five decades as an actor, French director François Truffaut called him a “one-man army.” Interestingly, in a recent interview with director Tinnu Anand, it was revealed that megastar Amitabh Bachchan was advised to quit acting.
Tinnu Anand reveals Amitabh Bachchan was advised to quit acting
In a recent conversation with Radio Nasha, Tinnu Anand, the director of Shahenshah, revealed that Amitabh was shooting for the film in Mysore when he got injured. There, the actor was diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder called Myasthenia Gravis and was advised by the doctors that he should never act again.
The director said, “When I reached Mysore, I was told that he’s (Amitabh Bachchan) got injured and he’s been taken to Bangalore for a checkup and he has asked you (Tinnu Anand) to come to Bangalore. So I reached there and I was told to wait in the hotel where I will meet Amitabh. And then finally, when he arrived, he knew the kind of jittery person I was. He said, ‘just sit down, please, before you fall.’ I’ve got bad news for you.”
Hearing this, Tinnu Anand shared that Big B asked him to cancel all his schedules as the veteran actor Myasthenia Gravis, which is a disease of the muscles. The director shared, “He (Amitabh Bachchan) said, ‘During the shoot when I was taking a sip of water, it got stuck in my throat. The message to my brain did not go that I have to swallow it, so it got stuck. I nearly died, suffocating on it.’ He explained that he has been asked to go to Bombay for a checkup and complete rest. He said the doctors had warned him that I might never be able to work again.’ I collapsed, I think he called an ambulance.”
Moreover, during the interview, Tinnu Anand also shared that after the news went viral, creditors showed up at his door asking for their money back. At the same time, Anand also mentioned how they started looking for an actor to replace Big B, but of course, no replacement was actually found. But then, Amitabh Bachchan’s brother, Ajitabh Bachchan, assured director Tinnu that once Big B is back from his treatment abroad, he would definitely complete the pending films.
As they say, the rest is history. Shahenshah became one of the highest-grossing films of 1988 and even today, the film is loved by many. Alongside Amitabh Bachchan, the leading lady of the film was Meenakshi Sheshadri.
Work-wise, Amitabh Bachchan is all set to appear in Vikas Bahl’s Ganapath: Part 1 and Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD.