
Saanand Verma recalls Amitabh Bachchan being rude to him: ‘Pehle toh aise kar rahe the jaise janam janam ka rishta hai'
Actor Saanand Verma has worked in several films like Mardaani, Chhichhore, Raid and others. However, he is best known for his comic role in the television show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! In a recent interview with Hindi Rush, Saanand opened up about his encounters with Amitabh Bachchan and revealed how he was once rude to him. (Also Read: Saanand Verma on Sushant Singh Rajput's death case: What's happening right now is his character assassination)
He recalled shooting a KBC promo with Big B and shared how warmly he behaved towards him. He said, "I have spoken to many stars, but I didn't think much about them. But I felt Amitabh Bachchan's aura when I was shooting Kaun Banega Crorepati's promo. The first time I met him… he was like… I felt like I was Abhishek Bachchan. I felt like I was his son. Pehle toh aise kar rahe the jaise humara janam janam ka rishta hai (He was behaving as if we have a bond of many lifetimes). We spoke for three hours."
However, the actor revealed that the superstar behaved coldly during their second meeting for an ad shoot and said, "The second time I met him to shoot an advertisement, he was very rude. After completing the shoot, I went and told him, 'I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work with you twice.' But he didn't even look at me, he kept staring at a painting and said, 'Bhagwan kare aapko tisbara mile' (May God give you a third chance also).' Saanand went on to say that no one is really friends in the industry and further agreed with Paresh Rawal's statement that people are only colleagues in the business.
Saanand started his acting journey with the television show Lapataganj and made his Bollywood debut with Rani Mukerji's film Mardaani. He followed it up with appearances in several successful shows like CID, F.I.R., and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! and films like Raid, Chhichhore, and Mission Raniganj, among others. He was most recently seen in the film Vijay 69, which also featured Anupam Kher, Chunky Panday, and Mihir Ahuja in key roles.
Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in the movie Vettaiyan. He will next be seen in Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD sequel. The film also stars Deepika Padukone, Prabhas and Kamal Haasan and is scheduled to go on floors in December this year.
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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
Mahim residents urge revival of Haj ships as cruise terminal opens
In a touching scene from the 1983 blockbuster Coolie, protagonist Iqbal (Amitabh Bachchan) plans to go for Haj and pray for the recovery of his seriously ill mother. However, just before boarding the passenger ship for Jeddah, he is stopped from travelling as he is suffering from a fever. Iqbal gives his ticket to a poor, old man and sends him off for Haj on his behalf, crooning the devotional number: 'Mubarak ho tum sabko Haj ka mahina...' The movie's script blocked Iqbal from boarding the ship for Haj. In real life, however, a group of Mahim residents have petitioned the govt to restart passenger ships to Saudi Arabia for Haj pilgrimage. As the annual Haj for 2025 concluded this past week, the Mahim Residents' Group reiterated their old demand. The recent inauguration of the Mumbai International Cruise Terminal at Mazagon has rekindled their hopes. "Haj pilgrimage through the sea route was stopped in 1995 as the govt wanted pilgrims to travel by air and the travel was subsidised. Now the pilgrimage by flights has become costlier and poor pilgrims cannot afford it. Travel by ships will substantially reduce the cost," says Irfan Machiwala, one of the residents who is joined by Farooque Dhala, Syed M Ismail, and Syed Gulzar Ranam. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scam Exposed: What They Won't Tell You about zero trust! Expertinspector Click Here Undo The advocates for restarting passenger ships for Haj cite a 2018 statement of then Union Minorities Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, where the minister said that the govt wanted to start Mumbai-Jeddah cruise ship services to ferry Haj pilgrims as a pilot project. "But the plan got shelved," says Dhala. In 2023, the residents wrote to the Maharashtra CM, PMO, Ministry of Minority Affairs, and even sought help from some MPs. On May 5, 2023, in a letter to Sarbananda Sonowal, then minister of ports, shipping, and waterways, Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar wrote: "Poor Muslim pilgrims would have to pay much less for travel to Jeddah than they pay for airfares and it would be helpful in cutting down the Haj and Umrah cost. As part of the new Haj policy, the Modi govt planned 15 cruise trips for pilgrims from 2018 onwards. " It was the famous Khandwani family in Mahim that pioneered the commercial ships for Haj during the First World War. In 1914, four brothers, Abdullahmian Khandwani, Dadamian Khandwani, Mohammedmian Khandwani, and Abbamian Khandwani, bought three German ships and created the Khandwani Steam Navigation Company. In an article on the Khandwanis, journalist M A Siraj says that for the 10-day voyage from Bombay to Jeddah, the Khandwanis would charge up to Rs 210, with the price going down to Rs 10 per passenger, depending on the economic condition of the pilgrims. "The booking manager had instructions to insist on people paying according to their status, more in line with the spirit of the Hajj. But they must... It would take the ships ten days to ferry the pilgrims to Jeddah," writes Siraj. Sohail Khandwani, a descendant of the family, businessman, and managing trustee of Mahim and Haji Ali Dargahs, who lives in the iconic beachside villa, Khandwani House, in Mahim, says: "I feel privileged that my forebears pioneered the commercial ships for Haj pilgrimage. The govt should restart if it is viable today." Sohail's uncle Amin Khandwani, chairman of the Haj Committee of India (1982-89), told Siraj in an interview in 2005 that his grandfather Abba Mian Khandwani "would tie a talisman on the mast and sail off for Jeddah. " We speak to Asif Dadarkar, who owns a shipping company and whose uncle Mohammed Saeed Dadarkar was general manager at Mogul Lines Ltd, which operated two ships, MV Noorjahan and MV Akbar, to ferry Haj pilgrims. "Ferrying Haj pilgrims alone will not be commercially viable unless they are subsidised and allowed to cruise to other ports," says Dadarkar. Whether or not the govt restarts passenger ships for Haj by reintroducing a subsidy, for now the residents are keeping the faith.


Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Saanand Verma recalls Amitabh Bachchan being rude to him: ‘Pehle toh aise kar rahe the jaise janam janam ka rishta hai'
Actor Saanand Verma has worked in several films like Mardaani, Chhichhore, Raid and others. However, he is best known for his comic role in the television show Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! In a recent interview with Hindi Rush, Saanand opened up about his encounters with Amitabh Bachchan and revealed how he was once rude to him. (Also Read: Saanand Verma on Sushant Singh Rajput's death case: What's happening right now is his character assassination) He recalled shooting a KBC promo with Big B and shared how warmly he behaved towards him. He said, "I have spoken to many stars, but I didn't think much about them. But I felt Amitabh Bachchan's aura when I was shooting Kaun Banega Crorepati's promo. The first time I met him… he was like… I felt like I was Abhishek Bachchan. I felt like I was his son. Pehle toh aise kar rahe the jaise humara janam janam ka rishta hai (He was behaving as if we have a bond of many lifetimes). We spoke for three hours." However, the actor revealed that the superstar behaved coldly during their second meeting for an ad shoot and said, "The second time I met him to shoot an advertisement, he was very rude. After completing the shoot, I went and told him, 'I consider myself very fortunate to be able to work with you twice.' But he didn't even look at me, he kept staring at a painting and said, 'Bhagwan kare aapko tisbara mile' (May God give you a third chance also).' Saanand went on to say that no one is really friends in the industry and further agreed with Paresh Rawal's statement that people are only colleagues in the business. Saanand started his acting journey with the television show Lapataganj and made his Bollywood debut with Rani Mukerji's film Mardaani. He followed it up with appearances in several successful shows like CID, F.I.R., and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! and films like Raid, Chhichhore, and Mission Raniganj, among others. He was most recently seen in the film Vijay 69, which also featured Anupam Kher, Chunky Panday, and Mihir Ahuja in key roles. Meanwhile, Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in the movie Vettaiyan. He will next be seen in Nag Ashwin's Kalki 2898 AD sequel. The film also stars Deepika Padukone, Prabhas and Kamal Haasan and is scheduled to go on floors in December this year.


NDTV
8 hours ago
- NDTV
Aamir Khan Reveals Amitabh Bachchan Backed His Decision To Release Sitaare Zameen Par Only In Theatres
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Aamir Khan will return to Bollywood with a theatrical-only release of Sitaare Zameen Par. He declined digital release offers to encourage audiences to watch the film in cinemas. Aamir Khan prefers a six-month gap between theatrical and digital releases for fairness. New Delhi: Aamir Khan is set to make his Bollywood comeback after three years with Sitaare Zameen Par. The actor has announced a while back, that the movie would be a theatrical-only release. Sharing the reason behind this decision, the actor stated that releasing a film on a digital platform just eight weeks after its theatrical debut seemed like an unfair proposition to him. In an interview with India Today, Aamir Khan spoke about how OTT platforms today pressure makers to release their films for streaming within a tight timeframe. While the actor has no issue with any platform, he stated that a six-month gap between theatrical and digital releases would have been more comfortable for him. Aamir Khan said, "I am a loyalist of cinema, and I believe in it. Yes, it's a big risk, and there's a lot [of money] involved. If I don't get that chunk of my pre-sales, and the film doesn't work, it could lead to a major loss. I did receive offers, but I turned them down because I want audiences to go to theatres and watch my film. I believe in cinema, and I believe in my audience." The actor shared that some of his close friends tried to change his mind. However, he ultimately found reassurance in Amitabh Bachchan's words, which helped him stick to his decision. Aamir Khan added, 'Everyone was suggesting we go the conventional way, but I was adamant about a theatre-only release. That night, when I met Mr Bachchan, I don't know what came over me, but I opened up to him about my concerns. I told him that friends and well-wishers all felt I wasn't making the right choice.' He added, "I was scared and unsure, but he told me, 'Why aren't you doing it? You've always taken risks. You're a risk-taker.' All of us deeply respect Amit ji, and when he said that, it validated my belief. That's when I decided to go ahead and release the film only in cinemas.' Aamir Khan emphasised that his decision on a theatrical-only release applies only to Sitaare Zameen Par, as of now. The production company will assess the response to this film before deciding on release strategies for future projects. Directed by RS Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par also features Genelia D'Souza and Darsheel Safary. The film will release in theatres on June 20.