Haasan

Kalki 2898 AD made waves when it was released in 2024. The Nag Ashwin-directed sci-fi film mostly earned accolades for two characters who acted as the strong walls of this fort. No, not Prabhas and Deepika Padukone, but Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan.

While Big B plays Ashwatthama, the cursed warrior from Mahabharata, Ulaganayagan plays Yaskin, ruler of the complex in 2898 AD, the antagonist of the film. The two veterans, take the film to another level.

While the duo have earned immense praise for their performances in Kalki 2898 AD, there was once a time when Amitabh Bachchan reportedly felt threatened by Kamal Haasan’s acting prowess and popularity, so much so that he went to the extent of shelving a film where he felt Haasan would overshadow him!

What Happened Between Amitabh Bachchan & Kamal Haasan?

This tale goes back to the time of 80s when Big B was at his peak in Indian Cinema while Kamal Haasan was growing with every film he starred in. They came together for a film that was titled Khabardar, and was being directed by T Rama Rao. The film was a social drama between a terminally ill patient and a doctor, where Big B played the doctor. It also starred Jaya Prada and Sridevi in the lead.

However, after major portions of the film were shot, it was shelved abruptly. In an interview, Kamal Haasan in the late 90s revealed that the film was stopped midway, and he was given half remuneration as well. Much later, in another interview, director K Bhagyaraj revealed what happened to Khabardar and that it had something to do with Amitabh Bachchan.

In an interview quoted by TOI, the director revealed, “According to the script, Kamal Haasan has to die, and only then would it be apt for the story. But then Kamal Haasan will have all the names from the film, and Amitabh’s character will not stand in people’s minds much. This didn’t sit well with Amitabh, and he said he couldn’t do the film and didn’t want to spoil the name he had made over the years for one film. He then offered bulk dates to the producers of Khabardar as compensation.”

Khabardar never got made, but the two actors came together for a film titled Geraftar in 1985.

What Next For Amitabh Bachchan? 

Big B’s last big screen role was in Rajinikanth-led Vettaiyan, where he played Dr. Sathyadev Bramhadutt Pande. He is reported to appear next in a voiceover role, playing Jatayu, in the highly-anticipated Ramayana: Part 1. The superstar also continues hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati on Sony.

What Next For Kamal Haasan?

Haasan recently appeared in the Mani Ratnam-directed movie Thug Life, which unfortunately turned out to be a disappointment. According to TOI, he is reportedly teaming up with Veera Dheeran Sooran director SU Arun Kumar for his next project.

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