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Did You Know Amitabh Bachchan’s Shahenshah director Tinnu Anand faced 1 year of poverty after film was shelved?
Shahenshah director Tinnu Anand faced a year of financial hardship after Amitabh Bachchan's injury delayed the film. He turned to ad films to survive during this tough time.
Amitabh Bachchan’s Shahenshah is celebrated as one of his iconic films! However, just before shooting was set to start, the actor encountered a serious health crisis. Director Tinnu Anand shared that the project was kept on hold for a year, resulting in significant financial difficulties for him. He revealed, "I experienced one year of poverty," resorting to ad films to stay afloat.
During a chat with Radio Nasha, Tinnu Anand, the director-producer, shared how Shahenshah nearly fell apart due to Amitabh Bachchan’s serious health issues. The actor faced a life-threatening setback after an on-set accident while filming Coolie and was later diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a rare autoimmune condition causing muscle weakness. The diagnosis came just days before Shahenshah was set to begin shooting, forcing Big B to step away and leading to major financial troubles for the production.
The director explained that Shahenshah was canceled after substantial money had already been spent on the crew, air tickets, and other expenses. Following this, creditors began demanding repayment, leaving him in a difficult position, as settling such a large sum was unmanageable. To manage the situation, he began searching for a replacement, considering stars like Jackie Shroff and Jeetendra for Amitabh Bachchan's role in Shahenshah.
Tinnu Anand revealed that Jackie was the first to express interest and said, "We had to make Shahenshah, and it took us a year. Jackie was the first to agree. He enjoyed the attention he was receiving about possibly replacing Amitabh Bachchan in Shahenshah. He signed three or four more films because of that buzz." Tinnu also shared that Jeetendra hesitated, stating that he didn’t believe he could fill Amitabh's shoes. "Jeetendra, on the other hand, said, 'I don’t think I can fit into Amitabh’s shoes'," he said.
Despite considering potential replacements, Tinnu soon recognized that no one could truly capture the essence of Shahenshah like Amitabh Bachchan. As a result, the project was put on hold, leading to significant financial strain for Tinnu, who said, "I experienced one year of poverty," and resorting to ad films to make ends meet. It was Amitabh's brother, Ajitabh Bachchan (Bunty), who provided reassurance, promising Tinnu that once Amitabh recovered and completed two unfinished projects, he would return to Shahenshah.
Shahenshah was eventually produced and released in 1988 by Tinnu Anand, marking one of Amitabh Bachchan's biggest blockbusters. The actor is still affectionately referred to as ‘Bollywood's Shahenshah’. In the film, Amitabh portrayed a dual role: a corrupt cop by day and a justice-seeking vigilante by night. The cast also featured Meenakshi Seshadri, Pran, Amrish Puri, Prem Chopra, and Sharat Saxena. Notably, the story was penned by Jaya Bachchan, adding a special touch to the film's legacy.
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