Director recalls being insulted by the crew on the set of an Amitabh Bachchan film, as the superstar’s production house went bankrupt: ‘I decided that I’ll never direct’

Tinnu Anand, in a recent interview, recalled the financial crisis faced by Amitabh Bachchan’s production house while he was making a film for them.

By: Entertainment Desk

Mumbai | September 19, 2025 09:18 PM IST

3 min read

Amitabh Bachchan faced a financial crisis in the late 1990s.

Amitabh Bachchan and Tinnu Anand have worked together on several films over the years.

Veteran filmmaker and actor Tinnu Anand shares a long-standing relationship with megastar Amitabh Bachchan, a bond that dates back to their early days as co-actors and collaborators. Anand not only worked with Bachchan on screen but also directed him in several memorable films, including Kaalia and Shahenshah. His last directorial venture, Major Saab, was also produced under Bachchan’s own banner, ABCL (Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited). However, the making of Major Saab coincided with a particularly turbulent phase for ABCL, as the company was heading toward bankruptcy during the film’s production.

In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Tinnu Anand opened up about the immense challenges he faced while directing the film under dire financial constraints. “When Amitabh Bachchan went corporate, he became bankrupt. Unfortunately, I was making my film for him at the time, Major Saab. We worked in such dire circumstances, only I know. The producer had no money and he had kept the entire unit in one hotel. Just imagine what circumstances it would have been. Every second day the crew would go on strike because they weren’t paid, they were threatening to not work, to not show up.”

Also Read | Manoj Bajpayee’s Jugnuma The Fable: A hypnotic plunge into a world where magical realism is both mirror and myth

Anand went on to explain how the experience took such a toll on him that he decided never to direct again. “That’s why I decided that I’ll never direct after Major Saab. Because the pain with which I have gone through, no one can know. I was insulted by the unit, I could have slapped them, but it wasn’t my production, and I feared they would strike again. So I had to be careful and control my temper.”

The financial collapse of ABCL is no secret. In an earlier interview with journalist Vir Sanghvi, Amitabh Bachchan had candidly spoken about the period when he was on the brink of financial ruin, even revealing that his house had been seized. “Yes, it was, in fact, attached. All assets, all properties were attached. So when you sign a personal guarantee, then you are personally liable to pay that and so there were about Rs 90 crore to be paid back,” Bachchan had revealed. He added, “There were about 55 legal cases and there were creditors on the door every day. Very embarrassing, very humiliating.”

From the homepage