Amitabh Bachchan gifts jacket he wore in Shahenshah to Saudi fan: 'Some day I shall tell you...'

Amitabh Bachchan sent the steel jacket he wore in Shahenshah as a gift to a fan in Saudi Arabia. He said he would reveal how he was able to retrieve it one day.

Amitabh Bachchan's turn in Shahenshah is one of the actor's more iconic performances. The 1998 film was a comeback of sorts for the actor and he played both a policeman and a vigilante who takes on criminals. His portrayal of the vigilante with grey hair wearing a black jacket with a steel sleeve became an instant classic. Recently, the actor responded to a fan in Saudi Arabia who sent his thanks over after receiving the jacket. He also added that one day he would let him know how he was able to retrieve it.

Directed by Tinnu Anand, the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Shahenshah released in theatres on February 12, 1998.

His fan from Saudi Arabia wrote on Twitter, "@SrBachchan To the legendary and one of the best actors in the entertainment world in all time, You are an honor not to India only but to the world. Thank you for the gift that you sent it means a lot." He also shared the emojis of the flags of Saudi Arabia and India, with folded hands.

Amitabh responded to him and shared, "T 4591 - My dear and most considerate friend .. I am so honored that you have received the gift of the jacket with the steel arm that I wore in my film SHAHENSHAH .. some day I shall tell you how I was able to retrieve it .. my love to you ...@Turki_alalshikh." Fans on Twitter praised the veteran actor for his generous gift while others wished the ailing Amitabh get-well wishes. One fan shared, "It is generous of you to share but shouldn’t that jacket be part of museum. It is historical."

In an interview with Rediff, director Tinnu Anand had revealed Amitabh's professionalism on set, despite ailing during the film. He had said, "When he was working on Shahenshah, he had a muscular disease. Even then he insisted on wearing the heavy costume -- the arm alone weighed 18 kilos! He would insist on wearing it in all the fight scenes. I tried to give him a lighter uniform but he refused to wear that saying the body language changes with a lighter gear. His commitment is immense, his professionalism is absolutely total."

Produced and directed by Tinnu, Shahenshah also starred Meenakshi Sheshadri, Pran, Aruna Irani, Prem Chopra, Amrish Puri and Kader Khan. Shahenshah's story was provided by Jaya Bachchan, Amitabh's wife. The screenplay was written by Inder Raj Anand.