This Amitabh Bachchan film was rejected by distributors, saw no footfall in first four days, one superstar's cameo saved it, movie became blockbuster, earned Rs...

Directed by Ravi Chopra, the 2003 film Baghban featured Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini in the leading roles. Salman Khan and Mahima Chaudhry were also seen making cameo appearances in the family drama. In a recent interview, the late filmmaker's wife Renu Chopra shared how the makers faced challenges while making and distributing the film.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, she said, "Despite the film being ready, no distributor wished to take up Baghban. They called it old-fashioned and this was a time when Amit ji was on a decline and had just made a comeback with Mohabbatein and KBC. They all said no one would touch it." She further shared how Salman Khan's cameo saved the film as she continued, "Then someone suggested bringing Salman Khan on board for a guest appearance - the only part left to shoot. Ravi knew Salman, but not as well as we do now. Ravi went to his house to meet him. Salman lives in a two-room apartment and is the simplest man. The three Khan brothers were in the gym and one by one, they came out wearing shorts, making Ravi ji feel overdressed."

"Then Salman came out, heard his role and immediately agreed to do the film. He said, 'I love this boy (Alok Malhotra, the character he eventually played). My concept of my parents is exactly this. I worship them and I will do the role.' He did not ask how much we would pay him and simply asked where he needed to come for the shoot", Renu added.

She then recalled the experience of shooting with Salman for Baghban in London. Renu stated that Salman just made the request of not starting the work before 11 am. "He promised he wouldn’t leave until everything was done. Every evening, he’d invite us for dinner, and you couldn’t tell him what to order. He’d take over and order the entire menu. On the last day, when we tried to clear the bill, we discovered Salman had already paid it", she said.

Renu Chopra also stated how the film saw no major footfall in theatres in the first four days but gained momentum from its fifth day. She shared, "Baghban did not have a good run on its first four days (Friday-Monday) in theatres. Ravi wondered why he made that film. But its fate changed on Tuesday and the movie picked up."

Made in Rs 10 crore, Baghban went on to become a blockbuster and earned Rs 45 crore gross worldwide. It became the fifth-highest grossing Bollywood film of 2023 behind Kal Ho Naa Ho, Koi Mil Gaya, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, and Chalte Chalte. The Ravi Chopra directorial also starred Aman Verma, Samir Soni, Saahil Chadha, Nasir Khan, Suman Ranganathan, Divya Dutta, Arzoo Govitrikar, Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Lillete Dubey, and Asrani in pivotal roles. The film has also gained a cult status over the years after its re-runs on television.