Amitabh Bachchan was reluctant to star with Nana Patekar in Kohram, recalls director Mehul Kumar: ‘Must have heard about his rudeness’

Not only did Big B come on board, but Mehul also introduced Punjabi music sensation Daler Mehndi to Hindi films. The filmmaker remembered listening to the singer’s popular hit “Na Na Na Re” and thought it would be perfect for his film. He said, “I thought it would be amazing to have this song in the film. I told Big B about Daler Mehndi and his song and how we could use it in the film. He agreed immediately.”

Mehul continued, “I called Daler Mehndi, and at first, he could not believe it. He told me, ‘Please don’t joke with me.’ He couldn’t believe that he would sing for Amitabh Bachchan and also feature in the music video of the song. He told me, ‘I can’t believe it.’ He refused to take even a single penny for the song. He said, ‘Give me whatever you want for the shooting. This is the biggest opportunity of my life.’ That song became a super hit.”

Despite the promise, Mrityudaata failed at the box office. Reflecting on this, Mehul said, “Maybe our timing was wrong, or maybe people didn’t like the fact that a doctor performs surgery after drinking.”

After Mrityudaata’s failure, Mehul approached Amitabh Bachchan for another film titled Kohram, which would also star Nana Patekar in the lead role. While this was Mehul and Nana’s third film together, which included the blockbuster Krantiveer, it was the first time Amitabh and Nana would share the big screen. Although Mehul was confident in his casting choice, Amitabh was a bit concerned about working with Nana due to his reputation for being rude.

Sharing Big B’s reaction, Mehul said, “I narrated the story of Kohram to Amit ji, and he liked it. I told him Nana Patekar is also starring in the film, and he said, ‘Nana bhi hai?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ Later, I told Nana about my meeting with Big B, and he asked me, ‘Did you take my name?’ I told him I did. He also had that reaction.”

Elaborating on Big B’s reaction, Mehul added, “Amit ji must have heard things about Nana, that he speaks rudely and says anything to anybody. I told Amitabh ji that this will be my third film with Nana Patekar and he has never created any problem. He will stay with respect with you. Amitabh ji said, ‘No problem. I am doing this film because you are producing and directing it.'”