New Delhi: Rajinikanth recalled how Amitabh Bachchan was mocked in Mumbai for appearing in commercials when he was 64 years old. The veteran Hindi-film actor was apparently going through a difficult financial phase.
Speaking at the Jailer 2—Super Show, a special promotional talk show, the Tamil superstar recalled how Bachchan worked for nearly 18 hours a day to repay his debts.
“Haters in Mumbai laughed at Amitabh Bachchan, saying, ‘He’s doing ads for money.’ At 64 years of age, with 1,000 problems in his body, in three years, he worked 18 hours per day, paid all his debts, and bought three houses on the same road. That is Amitabh Bachchan,” Rajinikanth said.
By the late 1990s, Bachchan was facing severe financial difficulties after his production company, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL), collapsed. The company was declared bankrupt in 1999, leaving the actor with substantial debts and creditors pursuing legal action.
Earlier, filmmaker Rumi Jaffery, who worked with Bachchan on films such as Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), recalled that the actor had invested his lifetime earnings in the company. Bachchan was reportedly left with debts of around Rs 90 crore.
His career witnessed a major revival in 2000 when he began hosting the television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati. The show’s success helped him regain financial stability and rebuild his career.
Rajinikanth and Bachchan have worked together in several films, including Andhaa Kaanoon (1983), Hum (1991) and Vettaiyan (2024). They also appeared in Geraftaar (1985), directed by Prayag Raaj, which featured Kamal Haasan as Bachchan’s long-lost brother.
In the same event, Rajnikanth also recalled his struggles and said that his five years as a bus conductor remain among the most memorable periods of his life, despite the fame cinema has given him.
“I love acting, of course. But I loved my bus conductor job much more than that. Those five years as a conductor were truly amazing. I still miss it. So, deep down, I believe I am a conductor and always will be,” he said.
The actor shared that once in a while, he goes to Bengaluru, and when he sees a bus or a person in a khaki uniform, his eyes tear up.
“I identify myself as a bus conductor,” he said.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)