Amitabh Bachchan needs no introduction. He is one of the most accomplished actors Bollywood has ever seen. Actor Raja Bundela, who appeared alongside Amitabh in the 1989 thriller Main Azaad Hoon, has spoken about his experience of working with the legendary star.
In a recent conversation on the Dear Generation podcast, Raja recounted an incident from a shoot in Goa that, he said, clearly showed Amitabh Bachchan's strong focus on detail and professionalism.
What Raja Bundela Said
The actor said, "It has been a pleasure working with Amitabh Bachchan. I did a film with him, and he remembered all the dialogue so well."
He added, "Once we were shooting in Goa, Amitji found out that his continuity shoes were left behind in Mumbai. Flights were not so frequent in those days; there was lots of commotion. The scene was where Amitabh was walking on the road, and suddenly he saw an apple. His character has been hungry for two days, so he picks it up, looks here and there, and then eats it. So when he bent, it was obvious that the shoes would be seen and there had to be continuity."
"I don't know if he does it now, but back then, any film that Amitabh worked in, whenever the shoot was wrapping up, he took the continuity stuff along with him until the next schedule. He wouldn't leave it with the production," recalled Raja.
He said further, "When they left for the shoot, his boy didn't pay attention, and they left the shoes behind in Mumbai. Everyone got so happy, started drinking, thinking there would be no shoot the next day."
"The next morning at 7:30, we learned that he was ready with his makeup and shoes, but nobody was ready to even go close to him, the director, the producer, no one. He was sitting and reading the newspaper, that's discipline," added the actor.
He continued, "Later, we found out that at night, he sent his spotboy from a bus, who took the shoes and returned from the first flight the next day. He called director Tinnu Anand and asked him to start shooting. This was the kind of discipline he had,"
Raja also spoke about Amitabh's discipline and professionalism and how he used to maintain a boundary between his personal and professional life, saying, "He was always prepared with his dialogues and would do everything on time. He would never gossip, even when we met at his home. From what I have heard, he would not allow anyone from the industry at his home after 8 pm; he locks his doors. He likes to keep that balance between his business and his family."
On the work front, Amitabh will be next seen in the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD.
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