When Vinod Khanna did his first film Insaaf after returning from Osho ashram: ‘People stood in 1 km long queues to buy tickets’

Ananth Mahadevan recalled how Vinod Khanna had a flat rate whether he worked in a film for 1 day or 40 days: Rs 35 lakhs.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: November 12, 2024 03:46 PM IST

3 min read

Vinod Khanna quit acting to become disciple of Osho.

Vinod Khanna was seen as the only contender to the then rising star Amitabh Bachchanat the time. The competition was tough, and Vinod Khanna was close to surpassing Amtiabh Bachchan’s stardom. But, everything changed after Vinod Khanna decided to leave his film career behind and join the Osho Ashram in the USA. After five years, Vinod Khanna made a powerful comeback with his 1987 film Insaaf. Recently, actor-director-screenwriter Ananth Mahadevan recalled Vinod Khanna’s charm among audience and his nature with the people who approached him. During the conversation, Ananth also recalled how Vinod Khanna had a fixed fees of Rs 35 lakhs irrespective of the number of days he shot for a film. “Be it a day or 20 days, his fees was fixed,” he said.

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Ananth Mahadevan fondly remembered his dream to work with Vinod Khanna. He said, “I wanted to work with a towering personality like Vinod Khanna. When you really manifest something, it comes true. When I made Red Alert, a film on Naxals, I had a stellar cast that included Ashish Vidyarthi, Sameera Reddy, and Suniel Shetty, among others. Vinod Khanna played a very pivotal part in that and I had this great opportunity to just watch this man, stand there and perform.”

‘People queued to buy advance tickets for his comeback film’

Recalling the time when the actor made a comeback in cinemas after five years, he said, “I remember when Insaaf released, it was supposed to be his comeback film after his return from the Osho Ashram. His charm was so that people stood in a queue from Apsara theatre to Maratha Mandir to buy advance tickets. And that’s quiet a distance, over a kilometer. However, the film didn’t do so well compared to its initial craze. But, Vinod Khanna was a man who was there for all seasons. Be it arts or politics.”

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He added, “He was very jovial and nice. Every time I went to him with a role, he would say, ‘Anant, you know about me, I have a bata rate: 35 lakhs. I charge 35 lakhs. Now you make me shoot for a day or 20 days, my fees remains same. He had a flat fee.”

Ananth Mahadevan and Vinod Khanna worked in films like Red Alert (2010) and Chandni (1989).

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