35 Years of Shahenshah: “Jackie Shroff enjoyed the publicity that he replaced Amitabh Bachchan in Shahenshah. He signed 4-5 films because of that” – Tinnu Anand

By Fenil Seta -

August 29, 2023 - 10:22 PM IST

One of the most iconic films of Amitabh Bachchan, Shahenshah (1988) completed 35 years this year, on February 12. The film is very memorable even today for its dialogues, Amitabh’s getup and also his entertaining performance. Hence, it was a shock to know that the mega star almost didn’t do the film. Director Tinnu Anand spoke on this aspect in detail in a recent session with Radio Nasha, hosted by RJ Divya Solgama.

35 Years of Shahenshah: “Jackie Shroff enjoyed the publicity that he replaced Amitabh Bachchan in Shahenshah. He signed 4-5 films because of that” – Tinnu Anand

Tinnu Anand revealed that just a few days before the shoot of Shahenshah was to go on floors, Amitabh Bachchan met him and informed him that he was suffering from Myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune, neuromuscular disease. Big B found out about it when he got suffocated after he drank water and the message didn’t reach his brain that he needed to swallow it. The doctors had told him that he’d need intense rest and that he might never be able to act. Amitabh, hence, asked Tinnu to cancel the shoot. The actor even gave an interview to prominent journalist Khalid Mohamed that he’s going to quit acting.

Tinnu Anand then said that creditors knocked on his doors as a lot of money had been spent on the pre-production of Shahenshah. He even said that he was in poverty and he began doing ad films to sustain. A year later, when he was in Delhi for the shoot, he happened to pass by Amitabh Bachchan’s bungalow. He went in and met Bunty, that is, Amitabh’s brother Ajitabh Bachchan. When Ajitabh asked him how he was, Tinnu Anand explained how he had a very tough time after Amitabh left Shehanshah. This is when Ajitabh assured him that once Big B is back from abroad after completing his treatment, he’ll shoot for Shahenshah.

Coming back to when Amitabh Bachchan announced his retirement from acting, Tinnu Anand said that he and the makers began to look for an actor who could sign on the lead role in Shahenshah. He stated, “That’s where we began our hunt for an actor who’ll replace Amitabh Bachchan. Of course, there was no replacement for him. We spoke to Jackie Shroff. We even approached Jeetendra. Can you imagine (laughs)? The process took a year.”

Tinnu Anand added, “At first, Jackie said, ‘Yes, sure’. He enjoyed the publicity that he replaced Amitabh Bachchan in Shehanshah. He even signed 4-5 films because of that!” He continued, “Jeetendra said, ‘You know, I don’t think I can fit into Amitabh Bachchan’s shoes’.”

Tinnu Anand then said that as they didn’t find any actor, the film was put on the backburner. Of course, Shehanshah was revived when Amitabh Bachchan recovered. And the rest is history.

Also Read: Amitabh Bachchan’s Shahenshah to get a remake with Ranveer Singh in the lead?