The Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Baghban was directed by filmmaker Ravi Chopra. In an old interview, the filmmaker’s wife Renu Chopra revealed how the film initially struggled to get a release, until Salman Khan came on board — a move that changed everything.
Renu Chopra recalls no distributor was interested in ‘Baghban’
Speaking to Pinkvilla, Renu Chopra shared that while Baghban was ready, no distributor was willing to take it. “Sab ne kaha ki bohot old-fashioned film hai,” she said. At that time, Amitabh Bachchan was attempting a comeback with Mohabbatein and KBC after a difficult phase in his career.“They said ki koi nahi haat lagayega,” she recalled. That’s when someone suggested, “Aap Salman (Khan) ko le lo, guest appearance ke liye.”She added that only a small portion of filming was left, so Ravi Chopra reached out to Salman Khan. The actor asked him to come over to his house.
Why Salman Khan agreed to do ‘Baghban’
Renu Chopra revealed that when Ravi Chopra arrived, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan were just finishing up at the gym. Salman soon walked in, dressed casually in shorts, and heard the narration. After listening to his role, Salman said: “I love this boy (his character), because mera concept, my parents — is exactly like this. I worship them, and I will do the role.”She further added that Salman didn’t discuss money at all. According to her, he simply said: “Mujhe role pasand hai, main karunga. Mujhe bataiye kaha pohochna hai.”Thanks to his involvement, the makers finally secured a release. Renu recalled that the film had a slow start and didn’t work for the first four days. But from the fifth day onward, it picked up momentum and eventually became a huge box-office success.
