It’s a rather momentous day for the Hindi film industry as the living legend, Amitabh Bachchan, turns 80 today. The actor, fondly known as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, marked his acting debut with Saat Hindustani (1969). Though he was tagged as a ‘failed newcomer’ by the film fraternity in the initial years of his career, he went on to deliver a string of box office blockbusters in the subsequent years like Deewaar (1975), Zanjeer (1973), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar and Don (both 1986), among many others. He received critical acclaim for his performances in Anand (1971), Abhimaan (1973), Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Chupke Chupke (1975), which have achieved cult status over the years.
To this day, he remains one of the busiest actors of showbiz and has already had four releases this year – Jhund, Runway 34, Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva and Goodbye, which is currently running in theatres. He also lent his voice to Radhe Shyam as a narrator and made a cameo appearance in Chup: Revenge Of The Artist and Gujarati film Fakt Mahilao Mateis. He is currently shooting for Kaun Banega Crorepati 14 as well.
As News18 celebrates Big B today, we exclusively catch up with his Goodbye co-actor Pavail Gulati, who plays his son in the family drama. The 35-year-old actor had earlier collaborated with him in the television series Yudh too, which released in 2014.
Talking about his dynamic with Bachchan, he says, “I used to meet him at his Diwali parties, and he was generous enough to invite me to them. He has always been such a wonderful host. Mr Bachchan is a ball of energy and I love him for that. It was such fun time filming Goodbye. This time around, I wasn’t looking at him just as Mr Bachchan as we would chat like friends. It was lovely working with him again."
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However, he admits that he was rather nervous around Bachchan on the first day of the shoot of Goodbye. “I hadn’t worked with him after Yudh, so I kept thinking, ‘I’m working with him after so many years! How’s it going to be like?’" The parts we play in Goodbye is very different from the ones we had in Yudh. The dynamic on set was pretty pleasant. Everyone was treated like a family. There was no sense of hierarchy. It felt like a party," he elaborates.
So, how did he bond with Bachchan on the sets of the film? Gulati shares, “He would play us his own music. We used to have dinner together. It became so easy. Sometimes when you’re in the last leg of a project, you want to just finish it quickly. But here, we didn’t want it to end it. In fact, we would tell Vikas (Bahl; director) to write a couple of more scenes so that we can continue the shoot longer."
The Dobaaraa actor tells us that he has many fond memories of shooting with the icon but there’s one particular episode that he holds very close to his heart. Recalling the incident, he says, “While on the set of Goodbye, he spoke to me about Thappad (2020). He really liked it. When Mr Bachchan talks about your work and praises you, you get so lost in it that you forget about everything happening around you."
Gulati further adds, “I was constantly asking myself, ‘He’s lying, right? Does he really mean it?’ He has such a kind heart. He has been really appreciative of the journey I’ve had. It was a proud moment for me. When I told my mother about it, she was even prouder."
As he walks down the memory lane, he opens up on their time together on the sets of Yudh. “I was very nervous about working with him in Yudh. I was sweating. It was crazy and nerve-racking! I was a kid back then. But he was and still is such a sweetheart. He has a way of making everyone around him comfortable," he says.
Bachchan is known for being a prankster on set. Ask Gulati about it and the Ghost Stories (2020) actor remarks, “He loves to joke around and pull your leg on set. He’s a sweet bully, like a child. It’s endearing! Whenever he’s on set, you get a vibrant and healthy feeling. He doesn’t demand anyone to treat him like a star. He loves his work and is very honest towards it. He loves being on set and that inspires everyone around him to work better and harder and to have fun. He brings an element of joy to the table, which is very infectious."
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