‘Amitabh Bachchan Was Insecure Of Kamal Haasan Taking All The Limelight’ – When Big B Shelved An Entire Film After Shooting With Kalki 2898 AD Co-Star!

Kalki 2898 AD has been the talk of the town ever since it was released, but the Nag Ashwin sci-fi film has been getting accolades for two characters who act as the strong walls of this fort. No, not Prabhas and Deepika Padukone, but it is 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 two have been winning accolades for their performances in Kalki 2898 AD, there was once a time when Amitabh Bachchan 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!

This tale goes back to the time of 80s when Big B was at his peak in the Indian Cinema meanwhile 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.

For more such throwbacks, stay tuned to Koimoi.

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