Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan has spent nearly 57 years in the entertainment industry, delivering some of Indian cinema’s most iconic performances.
In his latest blog, the veteran actor reflected on how preparation before a shoot has become a standard part of filmmaking today, unlike during his early years in the industry. He also recalled juggling 10 to 15 films simultaneously, driven by the constant fear of not knowing when the next opportunity would come.
Amitabh Bachchan recalls doing 10-15 film at same time
On Thursday night, Big B took to his blog and shared his thoughts on how filmmaking has evolved over the decades. Sharing a series of photographs, the actor wrote, “the prep was word or an explanation unknown to my generation and beyond ..now ‘its’ a common vocabulary, where one prepares for the work to be undertaken. For me, it was an unknown entity. I see now the amount of labour and pain, creative artists put into getting into the character, in looks and style and comprehensive character analysis.”
He added, “a most valid and thoughtful act, and my admiration to those who can give this aspect the more than required serious consideration and be prepared for the work undertaken. Good and impressive. But in the good old days when we all worked on 10 to 15 films at the same time – many two or three the same day, it would have been impossible to prep for one and not prep for the other ..on the same day!!”
The actor recalled that, in those days, it was usually the director or the assistant director who explained the scene once the actors arrived at the studio or shooting location. Big B added, “Many ask how you slip from one role to another in the course of a day for different films. Bhai saheb, na karein to yeh dar rehta tha ki aage kaam milega ki nahin, to jo kaha jaata tha use niyamit roop mein dhaal dene ka prayatn kiya jaata tha, aur intezaar rehta tha, mahinon baad jab film release hoti thi, ki humne usmein kya aur kaise kiya!!! (Brother, if we didn’t do it, there was always the fear of whether we’d get work in the future. So whatever we were told, we tried our best to adapt to it sincerely. Then we would wait for months until the film was finally released, eager to see what we had done and how it had turned out).”
About Amitabh Bachchan’s upcoming film
Big B will next be seen in the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD. Helmed by Nag Ashwin, the film also stars Prabhas and Kamal Haasan in lead roles. The first instalment, released in 2024, emerged as a blockbuster, grossing over ₹1,000 crore worldwide at the box office. Amitabh’s performance received widespread critical acclaim from both critics and audiences. He will reprise his role as Ashwatthama in the sequel. The release date is yet to be announced.