MUMBAI: While another bank robbery heist film titled, 'Hisaab' by director Vipul Amrutlal Shah is in making and there is much anticipation around it, you will be amazed to know a trivia about his blockbuster bank heist film Aankhen. Vipul Amrutlal Shah, a name synonymous with some of the most memorable films in Bollywood, recalls a defining moment in his career involving none other than the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. The journey to bringing the film ‘Aankhen’ to life began with an unexpected opportunity and an unforgettable encounter.
Shah was waiting outside Amitabh Bachchan's van, nerves and excitement mixing as he anticipated meeting the iconic actor. He had only met Amitabh Bachchan briefly a year before, and he was unsure if the superstar would even remember him. Reflecting on the moment, Shah shared, "I was waiting outside Amitabh sir's van, and I was thinking how I would be introducing myself to him, how would I talk to him. Afterwards, Amitabh sir came, gave his shot and asked me upon spotting, 'Vipul tum yaha kya kar rahe ho?'. I couldn't believe that he remembered me after a year of meeting me for just a few minutes."
To Shah’s surprise, Amitabh Bachchan agreed to listen to his script during a 45-minute break between his shoots, allotting Shah just 10-15 minutes to make his pitch. "I thought there must be a lengthy process involving his managers and all, but he just agreed to listen to the script like that. I was a bit scared internally since I was asking THE Amitabh Bachchan to play the role of a villain, so maybe I upset him," Shah admitted.
As Shah narrated the script, he was struck by Bachchan's intense, yet non-reactive listening style. "He listened to my script. He has a very naturally intimidating demeanor, where he has no reaction to scripts that are being narrated and he just listens, very carefully. As the narrator, you don't really understand how he feels about the script. Anyway, after completing my narration of the script in 15 minutes, Amitabh sir said, 'Vipul, I'll do this.' I couldn't believe that he said that, so I was in disbelief."
Bachchan's interest in the film didn’t end there. He requested Shah to present the full script in three days. However, Shah and his team were not fully prepared. "I told Aatish [writer] and explained the entire situation to him, and asked him to pack our bags because we had to go to Khandala, having to write the whole script in 48 hours and narrate it to Amitabh sir in 72 hours. He had no hopes of achieving the task in that timeframe, but I emphasized that we have to do this no matter what. It couldn't be changed, and we can't appear as liars to Amitabh sir," Shah recounted.
In a remarkable feat of determination and creativity, Shah worked tirelessly in Khandala along with his writer, Aatish. "We went to Khandala, worked on the script non-stop for 48 hours, wrote it, read it, edited it, made changes and continued to do so the entire time leading up to our meeting with Amitabh sir. Our narration ended at 5 AM, and after discussing it in detail, Amitabh sir said, 'You can announce that I'm doing this film.' So that was like the biggest moment of my life, me and Aatish came out and danced on the street and celebrated, and that's how 'Aankhen' started."
The rest, as they say, is history. Amitabh Bachchan’s role in 'Aankhen' remains one of the most memorable performances in Bollywood, marking the beginning of a successful collaboration with Vipul Amrutlal Shah.
Moreover, Vipul Amrutlal Shah is coming up with his next Hisaab. The film stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Shefali Shah.
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