Tinnu Anand, a renowned director known for films like ‘Kaalia’ and ‘Shahenshah’ alongside Amitabh Bachchan, recalled an incident where the legendary actor faced criticism from Tinnu’s father, Inder Raj Anand, for not delivering Urdu lines accurately in front of a group. Speaking with News18, Tinnu said ‘The disagreements were mainly about dialogue. My father was an Urdu expert, and no one could challenge his expertise. Although he wasn’t present on the set, there was a party scene where Pran Saab said, ‘You’ve achieved immense success in life, but the path you’ve chosen is lined with gold, leading straight to my prison or the gallows. Kaalia, that’s your future.’ And Kaalia responds, ‘Kya naza ki takleefon mein maza, jab maut na aaye jawaani mein. Kya lutf janaaza uthne ka, hargaam pe jab maatam na hoga‘. I told my father when he wrote the line, I said, ‘Dad, what does this mean?’”
Anticipating Amitabh’s difficulty with the lines, Tinnu conveyed a specific direction from his father, “Tell him, ‘I wrote this with Sanjay Gandhi in mind’,” Tinnu’s father said. “He died very young, and at every street corner, there were people mourning his death,” Tinnu said. But as expected, Amitabh couldn’t deliver the line properly on set. “Second or third time during his rehearsal, I heard a voice, ‘Theek se kahiye janaab, theek se‘. We all looked behind, it was my father. Amit looked at me and said, ‘B**tard, you called your dad here or what?’”
Taking charge as the director, Tinnu’s father expressed disappointment in Amitabh’s struggle with the Urdu lines, highlighting his connection to Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and expected better from him,“Beta, yeh Urdu hai, isme wazan hota hai… Laanat hai tumpe. Harivansh Rai Bachchan ke bete ho tum. Unke chhaon mein pale ho, aur tum keh rahe ho ke zubaan nahi hai yeh tumhari? Laanat hai tumpe (Son, this is Urdu, it must be said with force… You are Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s son, shame on you).” Tinnu continued, “There were 200 people, pin-drop silence. Amit said, ‘Uncle, give me 10 minutes’, and walked off.”
Initially concerned about losing his lead actor, Tinnu expressed worry to his father, to which he reassured that Amitabh wouldn’t leave. Surprisingly, Amitabh returned and diligently rehearsed the lines until perfecting them. Instead of calling for a break, Tinnu’s father warmly embraced Amitabh, signifying the resolution of the incident.