Shahenshah

Awards

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Trivia

Album

• This was Amitabh Bachchan's first Hindi film in a leading role after quitting politics. Amitabh had resigned from Lok Sabha after he was hounded by charges of corruption and the opposition parties had threatened to boycott this film.[1]
• Amitabh Bachchan was recovering from a rare neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis when this film was being shot. In fact, the film had stalled for a year due to Amitabh's health condition. Work on the film had resumed after Amitabh had recovered from the disease. Since the disease caused muscle weakness, director Tinnu Anand had tried to accommodate Bachchan by asking him to wear a lighter version of the costume he was supposed to wear in this film. Despite just the arm of the regular costume weighing 18 kilos, Amitabh had refused to wear the lighter version saying that he needed the heavier costume to properly enact the body language of the character he was playing.[2][3]
• Tinu Anand and Amitabh Bachchan had a showdown on the sets of this film when Amitabh had insisted on wearing a blazer for a scene in which Anand had asked him to wear a police uniform. Tinu Anand's father, Inder Raj Anand, had finally intervened and convinced Amitabh to wear the police uniform.[4]
• Kamal Haasan had offered Tinu Anand a role in the dialogue-less film "Pushpak" (1987) during the making of this film. Kamal had pleaded Anand to come to Madras for a day to discuss the film since Amrish Puri, who had initially signed the film, was no longer available, and other actors had declined the role. Tinu Anand had wanted to do the film but was in a bind because he was shooting with Amitabh Bachchan at the time and did not want to lose his dates with the actor. When Anand had brought this up with Bachchan, the actor had agreed to change his schedule to accommodate Anand's visit to Madras. It was during the making of "Pushpak" that Tinu Anand had landed a role in Mani Ratnam's cult classic "Nayakan" (1987) on Kamal Haasan's recommendation.[5][6]
• Director Vikramaditya Motwane had cited this film was one of the inspirations behind his film "Bhavesh Joshi Superhero" (2018).[7][8]
• Director Tinu Anand revealed in an interview that his father Inder Raj Anand had written the climax of this film on his deathbed. He passed away before the film was completed.
• The character Mukhtar Singh in this film, played by actor Praveen Kumar, was a reference to an imaginary character featured in the previous film Tinu Anand and Amitabh Bachchan had worked together on - "Kaalia" (1988).[9]
• Amitabh Bachchan's wife Jaya Bachchan was credited for the story of this film.
• It was reported that following rumours of attempts to pirate this film, the government had gone all out to confiscate bootlegged video cassettes. The government's prompt action in this regard was attributed to Amitabh Bachchan's proximity with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.[10]

Song

• Andheri Raaton Mein Sunsaan Raahon Par - The interludes in this song may have been inspired by the track "Mother" from the album "Synchronicity" (1983) by The Police.[11]
• Hey You - This song borrowed the hook phrase and tune from Pink Floyd's song with the same title from the album "The Wall" (1979).[12]

1. ^ Amitabh Bachchan makes spectacular come-back with Shahenshah
2. ^ When Amitabh almost gave up acting
3. ^ Tinu Anand on 30 years of Shahenshah
4. ^ I have won all four major arguments with Amitabh
5. ^ Pushpak (1987)
6. ^ You will never be able to walk the streets of Madras
7. ^ Vikramaditya Motwane on Bhavesh Joshi Superhero
8. ^ Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018
9. ^ Kaalia (1981)
10. ^ Government goes all out to protect financial interests of Amitabh Bachchan
11. ^ Mother - The Police
12. ^ Hey You - Pink Floyd