Kaun Banega Crorepati 16: Amitabh Bachchan reveals how the classic film Sharaabi was conceived mid-flight

The 16th season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, hosted by the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, welcomes contestant Dinesh Kumar, from Aligarh to the hot seat. As the gameplay unfolded, Mr. Bachchan posed a question related to the 1984 classic Sharaabi, which led to a fascinating behind-the-scenes story. Recalling the film’s creation, Amitabh Bachchan shared how it all began during a flight.
“We were traveling to the West Indies from New York, with Kalyanji-Anandji’s orchestra, and Prakash Mehra was with us. During the flight, Prakash Ji brought up the idea for Sharaabi. He outlined the entire story while we were in mid-air and asked for my thoughts. I simply said, ‘Okay, let’s think about it.’ When we returned, he had already written the script. However, the dialogues were incredibly long—some spanning 2-3 pages.”
Curious about the challenges of filming, Dinesh asked more questions, leading to an amusing anecdote from Mr. Bachchan. In his signature style, he humorously said, “Nahi, nahi, suniye toh... Abhi kahani khatam nahi hui,” before sharing what he told Prakash Mehra: “You made me an alcoholic for the whole movie, and it takes time for an alcoholic to speak. If I were to deliver these 4-page dialogues, the film would span multiple hours. Please shorten them.” Prakash Ji agreed, and the dialogues were condensed.
In a recent episode of KBC 16, a contestant brought along some throwback pictures of Amitabh Bachchan and requested him to share the stories behind them. One of the images was from either Natwarlal or Do Aur Do Paanch. Bachchan revealed an interesting story, explaining that the stunt in the photo was done without any safety equipment. Back in those days, there were no harnesses or protective gear, so he had to perform a jump from a height of 20-30 feet entirely on his own. He noted how risky it was, as a wrong landing could have resulted in a serious injury.
Tune in to Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 16, airing every Monday to Friday at 9 PM, to catch more unforgettable moments like this with Amitabh Bachchan.