Amitabh Bachchan, known as the Shehanshah of Bollywood and famous for films like Zanjeer, Deewar, and Trishul, has also worked in Bhojpuri cinema. In 2012, he appeared in Ganga Devi with his wife Jaya Bachchan, alongside Bhojpuri star Dinesh Lal Yadav (Nirahua).
Amitabh’s warmth on set
Remembering his time working with the legendary couple, Nirahua said that Amitabh Bachchan was warm and humorous on set, while Jaya Bachchan once actually hit him with a stick.In conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Nirahua said, “I was blank when I heard I would be sharing the screen with them. For me, they are like god. The moment I saw them in front of me, I didn’t know how to react. But Amitabh Bachchan is such a great man. He instantly sensed my nervousness and started cracking jokes to make me feel comfortable. He would laugh, talk about my songs, and lighten up the atmosphere.”
Amitabh’s advice on politics
Elaborating further, he added, “Amit ji once told me, ‘The way you’re singing in your songs, you want to be a politician. I too told my father once that I wanted to enter politics. He advised me against it, but I didn’t listen. That turned out to be the biggest blunder of my life. Now, I am telling you—don’t do it!’ He would say such things to ease the environment. For me, it was truly a dream come true to work with him.”
Jaya Bachchan’s hard-hitting scene
Narrating a funny incident with Jaya Bachchan, Nirahua shared, “There was a scene where I had to slap my on-screen wife, and Jaya ji, playing my mother, had to scold me and beat me with a stick. But instead of pretending, she actually hit me. And she hit me hard! She is very short-tempered.”“She beat me up a couple of times, and I told her, ‘You’re hitting me for real!’ She replied, ‘Then why did you beat up my daughter-in-law?’ I said, ‘That was just acting, but you really hit me!,” he added.Revealing if he was actually hurt, Nirahua said, “Maybe it was accidental, but I was really hurt. Still, I considered it as prasad (a blessing). After all, how many people have received the opportunity of working with both Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan together?”Gangadevi was produced by Amitabh Bachchan’s make-up man Deepak Sawant, who had earlier cast him in the 2006 film Ganga. The 2012 release was also Big B’s second film with Jaya Bachchan in the 2000s, after Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001).
