Amitabh Bachchan, the Bollywood superstar, is no stranger to the media spotlight. Every move of his becomes a subject of intense media coverage. Adored by millions, the iconic “Namak Halal” actor once found himself in the midst of a media ban, a period during which his name was conspicuously absent from press reports. In a candid interaction with Lehren, Amitabh opened up about his complex relationship with the press.
He shared, “Whenever anyone steps into the public sphere, the media and press tend to focus on them, which is understandable. However, in 1975, during the Emergency declaration in the country, film journalists wrongly assumed that the press censorship enforced at that time was due to my influence. They propagated the notion that ‘This man is close to Indira Gandhi and is connected to press censorship, so we must ban Amitabh Bachchan.’ Consequently, mentions of me were omitted from their writings and photographs were omitted from publications. In fact, even in film cast listings, a comma replaced my name.”
Amitabh Bachchan further elaborated, “I felt that if the press had the liberty to banish me, then I, too, should have the freedom to do the same. Hence, whenever I was filming or reporters requested meetings, I declined. This continued for about 15 years.”
On the professional front, the legendary actor is set to grace the screen in Nag Ashwin’s Project K renamed as Kalki 2898 AD. The film boasts a star-studded cast including Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Kamal Haasan, and Disha Patani in pivotal roles.
In addition to this project, Amitabh Bachchan will also be seen in “Ganpath: Part 1,” alongside Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon, promising yet another stellar performance from the veteran actor.