KBC 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 and airing on Sony Entertainment Television, welcomes contestant Dinesh Kumar, from Aligarh to the hotseat.

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.

Tune in to Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 16, airing every Monday to Friday at 9 PM, only on Sony Entertainment Television, to catch more unforgettable moments like this with Amitabh Bachchan!