'Mujhe Daant Padi': Amitabh Bachchan Scolded Rajiv Rai For Making Kajol The Killer In Gupt

News18

3 days ago

Director Rajiv Rai recalls Amitabh Bachchan scolding him for making Kajol the killer in Gupt.
Director Rajiv Rai's 1997 thriller Gupt left a generation stunned with its shocking twist — Kajol, the film's beloved heroine, was revealed to be the murderer. The bold move to cast a female lead as the villain was considered groundbreaking in Hindi cinema at the time. But not everyone was on board with this twist — including none other than Amitabh Bachchan, who personally questioned Rai's decision ahead of the film's release.
In a recent interview on the Ravi Buleiy Official YouTube channel, Rajiv Rai shared a fascinating anecdote about a trial screening of Gupt held in Chennai. Amitabh Bachchan had attended the show and called Rai the very next day.
'He said, 'Rajiv, are you convinced with what you have done in this film? You have made Kajol the killer, are you sure? How can you be so sure?' So in one way, as a senior, he scolded me," Rai said.
'Mere ko daant padi. He is a senior, he can obviously scold me."
Rajiv went on to explain that despite Bachchan's doubts, he stood firm in his creative vision, 'He questioned me, 'How are you so confident that this will work?' I told him, 'Sir, I don't have an answer for your questions. It is Wednesday already, please wait for 2 days, you will get your answer.'"
As history would have it, Gupt opened to critical and commercial success, and Kajol's performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Villain, becoming the first actress to win in that category.
Rajiv Rai also recalled his early professional ties to Amitabh Bachchan, having worked as an assistant director on classic films like Trishul and Kaala Patthar, both of which starred the megastar.
He revealed that during a challenging phase in Bachchan's career — between 1992 and 1994 — he developed a script with Anees Bazmee specifically for the legendary actor. Despite Rai's high hopes, Bachchan declined the project, 'He said that the phase that I am going through right now, I don't want to do any films. He was not going through a good phase then," Rai said.
'He was confused, and in that confusion, he said no. He is not a confused man but his circumstances were such."
The rejection left Rai heartbroken, 'I was like, 'I worked so hard, I was angry with my destiny, not with Amitabh Bachchan. I thought if destiny does not want me to work with Amit ji, I will work with someone new, so I made Mohra with Suniel Shetty."
That decision turned out to be career-defining. Mohra, released in 1994, was a major hit, and along with Gupt, cemented Rai's legacy as one of the most daring and successful directors of 1990s Bollywood.
First Published:
July 26, 2025, 21:00 IST
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