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Shahenshah stands as one of Amitabh Bachchan’s most iconic films. However, it was nearly never made after the actor was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis — a rare chronic autoimmune disease that causes muscular weakness. This diagnosis came after Amitabh sustained a life-threatening intestinal injury while filming a fight scene for Coolie, just days before he was supposed to begin shooting for Shahenshah. The film’s director-producer, Tinnu Anand, recently shared how Amitabh’s withdrawal from Shahenshah led to immense financial strain, with creditors showing up at his door demanding repayment.
In a conversation with Radio Nasha, Tinnu shared, “Shahenshah was cancelled after thousands and lakhs of rupees had already been spent on the unit, on air tickets, and everything. Then, creditors began knocking at my door, asking their money back. For me, that amount was impossible to repay, and that’s when we began searching for an actor to replace Amitabh. Of course, there was no replacement for him.”
During the interview, Tinnu admitted that he considered casting Jackie Shroff or Jeetendra in the lead role in Shahenshah. Jackie, in particular, made the most of the publicity surrounding the possibility. “We had to make Shahenshah, and it took us a year. Jackie was the first to agree. He enjoyed the attention he was receiving about possibly replacing Amitabh Bachchan in Shahenshah. He signed three or four more films because of that buzz. Jeetendra, on the other hand, said, ‘I don’t think I can fit into Amitabh’s shoes,’” Tinnu recounted.
Despite their efforts, Tinnu realised that no one else could embody the role of Shahenshah quite like Big B, and so, the project was shelved. This period was particularly challenging for Tinnu, as he faced significant financial hardship. “I experienced one year of poverty,” he revealed, explaining that he had to resort to making ad films to make ends meet.
However, Amitabh’s brother Ajitabh (Bunty) Bachchan instilled confidence in Tinnu saying Amitabh would return and complete the two unfinished films after his treatment and assured the director-producer that if Big B manages to do those two movies, he would take on Shahenshah as well. And ultimately, that’s exactly what happened.
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