Was Bombay To Goa Offered To Rajiv Gandhi?

IMAGE: Amitabh Bachchan and Aruna Irani in Bombay To Goa.

Amitabh Bachchan’s first hit film was the 1972 comedy thriller, Bombay To Goa.

While it is a much-viewed film over the years, not many know this movie was first offered to Rajiv Gandhi, then an Indian Airlines pilot!

And it was Mehmood who made this offer.

While Rajiv Gandhi’s exact reaction to the offer is not known, it is believed that he suggested his friend Amitabh Bachchan’s name instead.

The film has another interesting behind-the-scenes story.

According to Shatrughan Sinha, who played the villain, Bachchan accidentally hit his face during an action sequence.

“I started bleeding profusely,” Sinha tells Subhash K Jha.

“There was panic on location. I was nervous, but Amitabh was more nervous and panic-stricken than me. He became so disturbed that I had to pacify him although I was the injured party.”

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Guess Who Anurag Kashyap Bumped Into?

IMAGE: Kalki Koechlin and Abhay Deol in Dev D.

That Aditya Chopra, who turned a year older on May 21, watches films in theatres on the opening day, is common knowledge in the film industry.

Anurag Kashyap discovered this firsthand when he went to see his 2009 release Dev D on its opening day at a theatre in Mumbai.

Quite a few film folk were in attendance — Anupam and Kirron Kher, Minissha Lamba and Madhu Mantena…

But the surprise of the evening was Aditya Chopra, who Anurag realised was sitting right next to him.After nodding and smiling at the VIP spectator, Anurag held his breath as his film unfolded on screen.

After the screening, Adi sent Anurag a message saying Dev D rocked and that he should continue on the path that he had chosen for himself.