In a candid revelation during the Hindi Actors Roundtable on Galatta Plus, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan opened up about turning down the acclaimed film ‘Rang De Basanti.’ Bachchan attributed his decision to the narration style of director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, highlighting a confusing narrative presentation that led to his rejection of the Aamir Khan-starrer.
Recalling his interaction with Mehra, Bachchan disclosed their previous collaboration on a script titled ‘Samjhauta Express’ in the late ’90s. Despite their earlier collaboration, Bachchan emphasized his struggle to comprehend Mehra’s narrative approach during the discussion of ‘Rang De Basanti.’
Bachchan remarked, “That’s when I realized Rakeysh is the world’s worst narrator. Just read his script, never get a narration from him. He will confuse you, which he did to me during Rang De Basanti.”
Expressing his confusion over the storytelling technique of ‘Rang De Basanti,’ Bachchan mentioned his inability to grasp the frequent shifts between time zones within the plot, initially titled ‘Painted Yellow.’ His candid confession revealed his discomfort with the narrative structure, leading to his refusal to be a part of the film.
‘Rang De Basanti,’ released in 2006, starred Aamir Khan alongside Kunal Kapoor, Siddharth, Sharman Joshi, and an ensemble cast. Bachchan refrained from specifying the role offered to him but acknowledged the stellar performances in the film.
Despite declining ‘Rang De Basanti,’ Bachchan eventually collaborated with Mehra for ‘Delhi-6,’ featuring Sonam Kapoor, Divya Dutta, and an ensemble cast. The actor’s decision to join the project unfolded during Mehra’s subsequent film, indicating Bachchan’s acceptance of the director’s storytelling after the initial misunderstanding.
Sources By Agencies
