When Amitabh Bachchan Spoke About Being A 'Bigger' Star Than Dilip Kumar: 'You Have...'
A fan asked Amitabh Bachchan if he had imagined surpassing Dilip Kumar's stardom.
Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar first starred together in Shakti, a film released on October 1, 1982. However, Amitabh had first said no to the film as he wasn’t sure if he could match Dilip Kumar’s star power and acting prowess. However, Kumar convinced Bachchan by saying that he wanted to learn from him. Dilip Kumar was a massive superstar and through dedication, Amitabh Bachchan also reached superstar status globally. In fact, some fans said that Amitabh Bachchan succeeded Dilip Kumar as India’s superstar and even surpassed his fame.
In an old chat on Rediff, one fan asked Bachchan about being ‘bigger’ than Dilip Kumar. The fan had asked, “When you first catapulted to success, did you ever think that you would be bigger than Dilip Kumar and gang? Knowing that you are modest, you will say that they are bigger."
related stories
However, Amitabh Bachchan had a witty and polite answer to the question. He humbly wrote, “Thank you, you have answered your question yourself." Despite their mutual respect for one another, Ramesh Sippy’s Shakti was Bachchan and Kumar’s first and last collaboration on screen.
In the same chat, Amitabh Bachchan opened up about why we ventured into films ‘late’ in life. A fan asked, “Welcome to this chat Big B, tell us, how did you come into films at a rather late age? Was it that you wanted to pursue your studies in your youth?" The actor replied, “Yes. My parents felt that a complete education was mandatory. So after appearing for my senior Cambridge in Sherwood College, Nainital, I joined Delhi University where I graduated from. I did my BSc."
Despite his superstardom, Amitabh Bachchan also faced problems in his career and even witnessed a financial struggle. One fan asked, “I feel that there’s an anti-Amitabh lobby which works against your movies. Partly because of that, some of your movies have failed. I also feel that your movies need more publicity and advertising prior to their release. Could you please comment?"
“I would not entirely agree with that. Healthy rivalry has always flourished in the film industry and no one can lobby a success or failure. But I agree that in today’s times, marketing and advertising do carry a lot of weight," Bachchan wrote.
However, Amitabh Bachchan’s career was back on track after he starred in Yash Chopra’s Mohabbatein. He was last seen in Kalki 2898 AD and his role was greatly appreciated in the film. The actor will reportedly begin shoot for the remake of The Intern once Deepika Padukone if off maternity leave.
- Location :
- First Published: