When Amitabh Bachchan Said Sharmila Tagore Was "Ahead Of Time"

Amitabh Bachchan is currently busy hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 16. A video from the previous season has recently resurfaced online. It features veteran actress Sharmila Tagore and her granddaughter, actress Sara Ali Khan, sitting on the hot seat. In the clip, Big B can be seen telling Sara, "Inke (Sharmila) saath humne bhi kai filmo me kaam kiya hai. Aur aap ko bata de ye samne baithi hain isliye nahi keh rahe hai. Agar inko koi cheez, koi dialogue, koi action pasand nahi aata hai, to yeh bhi bebaak bol deti hain. [I have worked with her in several films. And let me tell you, I am not saying this just because she is sitting here. If she does not like something – a line, a dialogue, or an action – she openly and fearlessly speaks up about it.”

Amitabh Bachchan also recalled Sharmila Tagore saying, “Aap yeh jo keh rahe hain, mujhe karne ko, main nahi karungi. [What you are asking me to do, I will not do.]” Big B shared how directors were often astonished and asked, “But how can you do this?” To which, Sharmila Tagore would respond, “Nahi, main aise hi karungi. [No, I will do it my way.]”

Amitabh Bachchan added, “Vaise hi hota hai jaise ki inhone kaha aur vo jakar ke jab parde pe dekhte to lagta haan yaar yeh sahi tha. [In the end, her decision was final. When you see it on the screen later, you realise, 'Yeah, she was right.'”

Hearing this, Sharmila Tagore said, “Nahi, nahi. Kabhi-khabhi galat bhi. After all, on the set director is the boss. Sometimes I was very ziddi and that is not right. [No, no. Sometimes I was wrong too. After all, on the set, the director is the boss. Sometimes I was very stubborn, and that is not right.]

Towards the end, Amitabh Bachchan, who affectionately refers to Sharmila Tagore as “Rinku di,” said, “Rinku di jo thi, apne zamane ki bilkul bebaak thi aur ahead of time. [Rinku Di was completely fearless and ahead of time for her era.]”

Amitabh Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore have shared screen space in movies such as Naseeb, Chupke Chupke, Desh Premee, Besharam and Faraar. Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in Kalki 2898 AD. On the other hand, Sharmila Tagore last appeared in the 2023 film Gulmohar, alongside Manoj Bajpayee.