Amitabh Bachchan & Sridevi’s mothers warned Khuda Gawah producer before shooting in Afghanistan; know why

Millennium star Amitabh Bachchan has risked his life multiple times during film shooting. Unlike modern movie-making approaches, back in those days, most actors performed their own stunts facing risks. Be it being declared ‘clinically dead’ after suffering critical injuries during the shooting of Coolie in 1982, or be it his recent rib cage injuries during the shooting of Kalki 2898 AD (Project K), there are several such incidents when he suffered injuries.

However, did you know that the mothers of Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi had warned the producer of the 1992 movie Khuda Gawah before shooting in Afghanistan?

Yes, during an interaction with Bollywood Hungama, movie producer Manoj Desai recalled taking extreme risks to shoot the movie in the war-torn country.

Khuda Gawah starred Amitabh, Sridevi, Nagarjuna, Shilpa Shirodkar and Danny Denzongpa. A major part of the movie was set in Afghanistan. Both Amitabh and Sridevi had to travel to Afghanistan along with the entire cast and crew. Due to the ongoing war situation in the country, both the lead actors faced danger while shooting in Afghanistan.

Under such threatening conditions, Big B’s mother Teji Bachchan, and Sridevi’s mother Rajeswari Yanger had warned producer Manoj Desai before they left for the shoot.

Manoj was quoted as saying, “If Amitabh Bachchan had gotten shot with one bullet, it would all have been over. If Sridevi would have been shot, it would be over. Because there was a war going on.”

Further, recalling how Amitabh’s mother warned him before they were about to leave for the shoot, Manoj said, “When I met Teji Bachchan, she said ‘Agar Munna ko kuch hua, aur Jaya ne white saree pehni toh tu vahan suicide karna. Teri wife bhi white saree pehenegi (If something happens to my son, and Jaya has to wear a white saree, then you kill yourself there. Your wife will also wear a white saree).”

He also talked about the warning issued by Sridevi’s mother. Sridevi’s mother Rajeswari Yanger warned him, “If something happens to her, you don’t come back. If you come back, I will kill you’.”

Khuda Gawah was released worldwide on May 7, 1992, and it received critical acclaim from several critics. Praise was showered on the performances of the entire cast, direction, and music. Though the movie managed to gross Rs 170.5 million at the box office, it was declared ‘average’ as the film was made on a high budget. However, the movie went on to become the third-highest-grossing movie of the year. The hard work of the entire team paid off and the rest is history.