Satyajeet Puri recalls audience boycotting Amitabh Bachchan's movie during Bofors scam
Mumbai, August 11
Actor Satyajeet Puri has recalled how the Bofors controversy allegedly surrounding Amitabh Bachchan affected his 1987 film 'Kaun Jeeta Kaun Haara'.
The actor claimed that the backlash against the superstar was so strong that audiences stopped watching his films and even blacked out the posters of his movie.
In a video shared on his own social media account, Satyajeet Puri recalled how Amitabh Bachchan became a part of the film after watching it and liking it.
"Amit Ji saw the film and liked it. He said, what role can I play in this film? Your film is already complete. He said, you become the narrator in this film. You narrate the entire story of this film," Puri recalled.
He said a special situation was then created to accommodate Bachchan's appearance in the film.
"So, a situation was made, where Amit Ji is an actor and his car breaks down, and he narrates the entire film. Amit Ji came, Amit Ji did the entire shooting, his entire portion was shot, and the film was released," he said.
Puri said he was hopeful that Bachchan's presence would help the film attract audiences.
"Here, I was very happy, that now Amit Ji is in our film, the opening of the film will be good, people will come and watch, the film is good," he said.
However, according to Puri, things to a drastic turn post the Bofors controversy and changed the situation dramatically.
"But what I had told you earlier, fate, at that time, something happened, that the story of Bofors came out, and people became anti Amit Ji. They became so anti, that they stopped watching Amit Ji's film," he recalled.
Puri further claimed that the backlash affected 'Kaun Jeeta Kaun Haara' when it reached theatres.
"And when this film was released, people completely banned it from their side. They didn't watch it. There was no interest to watch it. Even the posters of our film, people blacked them out. And that film, such a good film, such a good story, it didn't work at all, it flopped," he said.
Looking back at the experience, Puri attributed the film's fate to luck.
"Like I told you, film industry, 99% is luck, and 1% again luck. So that wasn't in my fate, that film wasn't in my fate," he said.
The actor also reflected on sharing the film with Bachchan despite not working with him in the conventional sense.
"But yes, in that film, I didn't work with Amit Ji, but together, we were in that film," he said.
For the uninitiated, 'Kaun Jeeta Kaun Haara', directed and produced by Rakesh Kumar, it featured an ensemble cast including Kishore Kumar, Aruna Irani, Amrish Puri, Jagdeep, Tinnu Anand and Satyajeet Puri. Amitabh Bachchan has appeared in the film as himself.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, this is a reminder of how powerful public perception can be. One controversy and even the biggest superstar's films were boycotted. Today's generation talks about cancel culture, but we've seen this before in India. Amitabh ji survived it all and came back stronger though - that's what makes him the Shahenshah of Bollywood! 👑
This is why I always say that in India, cinema and politics are deeply connected. The audience feels personally invested in their heroes, and when allegations come, they take it to heart. But I also think it's unfair to judge someone based on allegations alone. The court later cleared things and truth prevailed. Good to see Satyajeet Puri sharing this perspective after all these years.
It's interesting how Satyajeet Puri mentioned "99% luck, 1% luck" - that's so true for films! The timing of release can make or break a movie. Imagine having the legend like Amitabh Bachchan in your film and still not getting a good opening because of external factors. The film industry can be really cruel sometimes. 😔
I knew about the Bofors scandal but never realized the impact it had on Amitabh's films at the time. This is a reminder that even megastars aren't immune to public sentiment. It's actually a testament to his resilience that he bounced back and continued to have this incredible career. Great story from Satyajeet Puri.
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