In The Pink Of Health

My first memory of Mr Amitabh Bachchan is that of watching him in Yash Chopra’s Deewaar (1975) and then Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi (SKK, 1977).

- Raghuvendra Singh

The way he stands for the labour class in Deewaar was so impressive. Even decades later, his performance continues to mesmerise. While Shatranj Ke Khiladi featured Sanjeev Kumar and Amjad Khan, Amitabhji’s voiceover in the period drama added so much gravitas to the film.

I got an opportunity to meet him just after my directorial debut Yahaan (2005). Of course, I was nervous. I had gone to pitch a film called Shoebite to him. Ours was just a 15-minute meeting. Jaya Bachchanji stepped in for a bit and mentioned that she'd liked my film and that Amitji should listen to my script.

Little did I know that I’d go on to do three films with him - Shoebite (not released yet), Piku and Pink.