No heroine will work with you: Amitabh Bachchan recalls tough days

The veteran actor shared the candid anecdote during an interaction on Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18

Mumbai: Superstar Amitabh Bachchan recently opened up about the struggles he faced when he was trying to establish himself in the Hindi film industry.

He revealed that his height and facial features were once considered obstacles to getting work.

The veteran actor shared the candid anecdote during an interaction on Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18.

Explaining that his now-iconic hairstyle was, in fact, was one of the criticisms he faced in his early years.

The conversation began when contestant Vinamra, whose grandfather was a film distributor, recalled how Amitabh Bachchan’s signature long sideburns and hairstyle had become synonymous with his star image.

Responding to the observation, Amitabh Bachchan revealed that the look had a rather unexpected origin.

Recalling his early days in cinema, Big B said, “Sir, kya hain ki shuruvat mein jab hum filmo mein aaye toh kaam milne keliye toh producer doh cheez pe humme bolte the ki humari height lambi hain toh koi heroine kaam nahi karegi aur dusra ki humara chehra bohot chota hain. Toh kya hain usko bharne keliye humne humare baal badaye aur baal ko kaanpati tak ughaya jisse humara chehra bhar bhara lage.”

(Sir, when I entered films in the beginning, producers would tell me two things while considering me for work, that I was very tall, so no heroine would work with me, and secondly, that my face was very small. So, to fill it out, I grew my hair and let it grow up to my temples so that my face would look fuller)

For the uninitiated, Amitabh Bachchan made his acting debut with Saat Hindustani in 1969. Despite receiving recognition for his early performances, he went through a difficult phase before his breakthrough.

His career changed with the cult classic Zanjeer in 1973, which established him as the quintessential “Angry Young Man” of Hindi cinema. He then delivered iconic performances in films including Deewaar, Sholay, Don, Amar Akbar Anthony and Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, among many others.