Friends again: delighted to work with Anurag Kashyap, says Amitabh Bachchan

Friendships are proverbially fickle in Bollywood, while grudges take forever to resolve. So it came as a pleasant surprise when a superstar and a successful director decided to put their differences behind them, and agreed to join hands post a protracted fight.

After doing a short film, Amitabh Bachchan and Anurag Kashyap have now decided to work together on a full-length feature film (being produced by Phantom Films). Last month, Bachchan posted on his blog: “…later in the year to start a complete film, which he (Anurag) has narrated to me, and which sounds innovative and exciting…”

The film is a thriller with an ensemble cast, and Bachchan in the lead. It will go on the floors early next year. Bachchan is all praise for Anurag as he says, “I am delighted to be working with Anurag, a director, who has through his rugged belief in his kind of cinema compelled us to fall in line with him. I have a general concept of the story and anxiously wait for him to begin shooting.”

An excited Anurag adds, “I’m thrilled. Like everyone, I have also been a fan of Mr Bachchan from my growing-up years. Though I wanted to make a film with him for the longest time, I wanted to be sure that the role is something he has never done before. While working on the short film with him, I got this idea, which we discussed and he agreed.”

Calling a truce
Post Satya (Anurag wrote the 1998 film), the director and actor were meant to work together, but it didn’t work out. Anurag then criticised Bachchan’s film, Black (2005), in an article. Things worsened when Anurag drew comparisons between Abhishek Bacchchan-starrer Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey (2010) and his own production, Chittagong (2012). However, Bachchan mended fences by attending the premiere of Chittagong and agreeing to be a part of Anurag’s short film for Bombay Talkies.