Memoir: When we ignored the 'press ban' imposed by Amitabh and went to the sets of the film 'Khuddaar'...

It is about those days when there was a tussle between the press photographers and Amitabh. Amitabh had banned the entire press fraternity (photographers and reporters). He neither gave photographs nor talked to any press person. He had given instructions to his producers that no press person should be seen on the set of his shooting. However, those days were the era of print media. Till then there was no discussion of channels or electronic media. But Amitabh is Amitabh. His ban continued for a long time. Journalists kept writing a lot against him and due to negative writings, he went from star to superstar. This incident happened at that time. I was among the favorite journalists of film director Ravi Tandon ji (director of successful films like 'Khel Khel Mein', 'Ek Main Aur Ek Tu', 'Anhoni', 'Majboor', 'Waqt Ki Deewar', 'Khuddaar'). Our team consisted of 'Mayapuri' journalist Chhaya Mehta and her press photographer brother Deepak Mehta. We used to roam from studio to studio throughout the day. Whenever we were in Juhu in the evening, we used to go to Ravi Ji's place.

Source: NH Studioz

Source: NH Studioz

Source: NH Studioz

It is the year 81, and the shooting of the film "Khuddaar" under the direction of Ravi ji was going on. One such evening, we went to producer-director Ravi Tandon's bungalow 'Nippon'. There was no need to get permission to go to his house. Raviji's family has been a very loving family - right from the beginning. Ravi ji and his wife Veena ji and daughter Raveena (the name 'Raveena' was given by combining the names of 'Ravi' and 'Veena') and their son Raj used to mingle with everyone. Sometimes Veena ji's brother Mac Mohan (Sambha of Sholay) was also there. Raviji was a very down-to-earth man. He was so down to earth that looking at him it did not seem that how many hit films this man has directed. The atmosphere of his house was full of entertainment. We used to 'feel' at home at his place.

Apart from Amitabh, there were other big stars like Sanjeev Kumar, Parveen Bobby, Vinod Mehra, and Prem Chopra in 'Khuddaar'. One evening we were at Ravi Ji's bungalow, and he told us that he was shooting 'Khuddaar' the next day at Filmistan Studio. Amitabh was on the set that day. If Amitabh was on the set, the desire to know increased. We wanted to go for the cover, yet Amitabh would not talk about it. Ravi ji refused - "No, he will get angry." Ravi Tandon told us - "Come some other day when Amitabh is not on the set. If he (Amitabh) gets angry and goes away, it will be a big loss for the producer." We also insisted that you are such a big director, why would it not work for you? It was time for Ravi ji to drink whiskey, he made a peg and offered it to me and said - 'Drink it. You journalists will not understand what making a film means. Write gossip from here. I said- I don’t drink. He said, "When will you become a journalist?"

Source: NH Studioz

Well, the next day despite Raviji's refusal, we went to Filmistan Studio. On stage number three, where the shooting of the film 'Khuddaar' was going on, it was written on the gate itself - "PRESS NOT ALLOWED". When Ravji looked at us, he got angry - "You guys were forbidden, right? Do you know?" Yes, because of you guys the shooting may get stopped and the producer may suffer loss!" This was the first time I saw Raviji getting angry. He told us that we will not introduce him to anyone. And, that we will not ask any questions in front of Amitabh. At that time the song was being filmed on the sets of the film - "Angreji me kahte hain, I love You and Gujarati maa, Bole tane prem karoon chhu chhu". During the lunch break, we sat down to eat at the same table with Raviji. Amitabh had gone to rest in a separate make-up room. The room was different for Parveen Bobby. There were no vans for stars at that time. Just then we saw Amitabh Bachchan coming there walking, he wanted to know from Raviji about some scene after lunch. Ravi Ji looked at us, we understood his signal that we had to remain silent. Amitabh sat down taking a chair and we were upset internally. Amitabh and Raviji kept talking. Sometimes Ravi Tandon would look at Chhaya Mehta from the corner of his eye, Chhaya kept looking at me to see if I asked anything. For about 10 minutes, as long as Amitabh was there, we were there as 'restricted creatures'. After his departure, we all became normal. Ravi Ji lightened the atmosphere by saying – “Thankfully Lambua (Amitabh) did not ask anything from you people. Thanks, you guys also remained calm. I really felt that day that the producer who spends crores of rupees to make a film has no power of his own in front of the star power of the screen! And, Ravi Tandon ji was such a director who was a friend of all the stars, but never let his producer suffer. They remained like friends to us despite being older than us. That day... he brought us out from the shooting floor to the gate, then went back inside laughing, saying - "Do come home tomorrow!"

Truly, I will never forget this incident of Amitabh Bachchan's press ban.

-Sharad Rai