Bade Miyan Chote Miyan writer says Amitabh Bachchan didn’t take money from anyone during ABCL fiasco, paid off debts with own earnings | Bollywood News

Although Amitabh Bachchan has witnessed several ups and downs in his illustrious career spanning over five decades, the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) fiasco is widely believed to be the most disappointing. The production company went bankrupt shortly after its foundation in the mid-90s and faced a massive financial crisis, with debts mounting to over Rs 90 crore. Despite being mired in controversy and neck-deep in debt, Bollywood’s “Shahenshah” did not seek help from anyone and reportedly cleared the dues through sheer hard work.
In a recent interview, renowned screenwriter-director Rumy Jafry, who worked with the superstar in movies like Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, also attested to this. “When ABCL suffered losses, I can say this with complete confidence that Amit ji did not take financial help from anyone. I remember the hard work he did. When ABCL was formed, he gave all his life earnings to its then-CEO, Sanjiv Gupta. It was the first time I was seeing a corporate production company. He commenced signing two filmmakers, Sachin Pilgaonkar and Joy Augustine, and I was brought in as the writer,” he shared during an appearance on Journey Unscripted with Chanda Kochhar.
Also Read | Rajesh Khanna stood in line for a public toilet with a dabba; it gave him his last hit; Dimple Kapadia called his state ‘pathetic’
Rumy further pointed out that it was at ABCL where he first saw a conference room and production professionals in suits. He opined that Amitabh Bachchan did not have the right team back then, which contributed to ABCL’s downfall. “But he is such a fighter. He paid off all the debts with the money he earned through hard work from Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) and movies. He is a khuddar (self-respecting) man,” Rumy added.
Heaping praise on Big B for his punctuality, Chanda Kochhar recalled, “He was the chief guest for an event. He arrived 10 minutes before the allotted time. He then called me and said, ‘I reached a bit early. So, I will drive around Marine Drive once and come back.’ Just imagine, the chief guest arrived for an event before the stipulated time.”
Dhurandhar Box Office Collection Worldwide Day 24 Update: RGV says Ranveer Singh film has ‘kicked out South Indian movies’; earns over Rs 1100 cr worldwide
‘I reach on time because I leave on time,’ Rumy Jafry recalls Amitabh Bachchan’s hilarious response
Rumy Jafry added that he learned punctuality from Amitabh Bachchan. “I became disciplined seeing him,” he noted. Interestingly, Big B played key roles in two, God Tussi Great Ho (2008) and Chehre (2021), of Rumy’s four directorial ventures.Story continues below this ad
He recalled, “Amit ji’s instructions are always clear. ‘I will arrive at 10 am and will leave at 6 pm.’ I used to tell my assants that there was no need for us to check our watches, and that we could easily tell the time looking Amit ji’s arrival and departure. One day, the shooting went on till 6.30 pm. The same happened the next day, too. On the third day, I could see that things were going in the same direction. Meanwhile, that very day, an article had appeared in a daily, praising Amit ji for his punctuality, as he one day reached on time for all three events he had committed to, despite them taking place at different corners of Mumbai. As the shot was getting ready around 6 pm, I went up to him and lauded him for the article. He replied in jest, ‘I reach everywhere on time as I leave on time.’ I was so embarrassed.”