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Amitabh Bachchan‘s journey in Bollywood is one of the most inspiring tales in the industry. He began his career facing numerous failures, with none of his initial films making an impact. However, he became an overnight sensation with Zanjeer in 1973. Despite his success, he later experienced a significant setback when his company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL), went bankrupt, leaving him with a debt of around Rs 90 crore. This challenging period was so severe that his son, Abhishek Bachchan, had to leave his education. Adding to his struggles, none of Amitabh’s films were performing well at that time.
Recalling the situation, in an interview with Ranveer Allahbadia, Abhishek Bachchan said, “Well, truth be told, I left university — I was studying in Boston University. I had declared my major as liberal arts, and then I majored in performing arts. And I left my education because my father was going through this really rough time, financially. He had started this business called ABCL.”
He added, “I said I can’t be here sitting in Boston when my father doesn’t know how he’s going to get dinner. And that’s how bad it was. And he said it publicly. He had to borrow money from his staff to put food on the table. I just felt morally obliged to be with him. I called him and I said ‘You know dad, I think I want to leave college half-way and comeback and just be with you, try and help you in whatever way. At least you’ll know that your boy is next to you and he’s there for you’.” His father called him to his study late at night, to tell him about the financial situation. Amitabh apparently told him that ‘movies aren’t working out, the business isn’t working out, nothing is working out’.
In an interview with India Today, Amitabh Bachchan recalled, “That was undoubtedly one of the darkest periods of my 44-year-old career. I can never forget how creditors used to land at our door, be abusive, threatening and demanding, and worse still, when they came for ‘Kudkee’ at Prateeksha, our residence.”
Amid the debts and losses, Amitabh Bachchan decided to reinvent himself.
At Vettaiyan audio launch event, Rajinikanth recalled Amitabh Bachchan’s struggles and how he had to sell his Juhu house and other properties in Mumbai.
“One day, he walked to Yash Chopra’s house wearing a monkey cap because he no longer had a driver, as he couldn’t pay them. He asked Yash for work. Yash immediately brought a signed cheque and gave it to him, but Amitji declined, saying he would take it only if he was given work. And thus, he received Mohabbatein. Soon, he also got KBC”, shared Rajinikanth.
He added, “He did anything and everything. He did all kinds of ads. People in the Bombay industry laughed when they saw this. For three years, despite having many health issues, he worked for 18 hours a day and cleared all his dues. Not just that; he bought back the old house; he bought a total of three houses in that same lane. That’s Amitabh Bachchan! He is 82 now and still works for 10 hours a day.”
Amitabh Bachchan was recently seen playing the role of Ashwatthama in Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD.
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