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Amitabh Bachchan's Bombay To Goa was FIRST offered to Rajiv Gandhi
As Amitabh Bachchan celebrates his 82nd birthday, here's a look at how his film Bombay To Goa was first offered to the former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and how it helped him get Zanjeer, that changed his career.
Updated : Oct 11, 2024, 03:51 PM IST | Edited by : Aman Wadhwa
 "Amitabh Bachchan and Rajiv Gandhi")
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Amitabh Bachchan, one of the most accomplished actors in Indian cinema, has turned 82. While the superstar gave many blockbusters, it's interesting to note that the 1972 film Bombay To Goa had a huge role in him becoming the Shahenshah of Bollywood. And Bachchan must thank a certain Rajiv Gandhi for the same. Yes, the same Rajiv Gandhi, who went on to become the sixth Prime Minister of India in 1984.
A remake of a 1966 hit Tamil film Madras to Pondicherry, Bombay To Goa was produced by the actor-comedian Mehmood. He had first offered the film to Rajiv Gandhi, who was then an Indian Airlines pilot. Gandhi refused the film, and even suggested his friend Bachchan's name. The comedy thriller, which also featured Aruna Irani, Shatrughan Sinha, Nazir Hussain, and Mehmood himself, was a moderate success at the box office. After Bombay To Goa, Amitabh's next few films were massive flops and the actor had almost planned to leave the city of dreams and go back to his hometown Allahabad, now Prayagraj. Until, Salim-Javed offered him Zanjeer, that changed his life.
Zanjeer had its own journey as the script was rejected by several actors including Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar and Dev Anand. It was only after Salim-Javed saw Bachchan chewing gum throughout a fight sequence in Bombay To Goa that they pitched his name to the filmmaker Prakash Mehra. Big B had recalled the incident on his blog when he wrote, "Salim-Javed saw a fight sequence in the film Bombay to Goa where I was chewing gum throughout the fight, as an indicator that I would be the right choice for Zanjeer!!! Goodness me, thank god for chewing gum and thank god that S&J noticed it!!!." Javed Akhtar shared the same detail in the recent docuseries Angry Young Men, which celebrates his and Salim Khan's legacy as the superstar writers.
At a point when everyone wanted to be a romantic hero, Amitabh agreed to play Inspector Vijay Khanna in the 1973 action drama Zanjeer. But, with a streak of flops behind him, the actor had no choice either. Also starring Jaya Bhaduri, Pran, Ajit Khan and Bindu, the movie became a blockbuster and Amitabh Bachchan never looked back. He carried on the persona of Angry Young Man throughout the 1970s, and went on to became one of the biggest superstars in the world.
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