In a candid interview, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra revealed that the industry thought they were ‘playing with fire’ by casting Abhishek Bachchan as a Pakistani terrorist in Samjhauta Express.The film’s controversial role was deemed too risky, leading to its abrupt cancellation.
On Shiv Talwar’s YouTube channel, the filmmaker discussed his near-debut film Samjhauta Express. He revealed that he and Kamlesh Pandey had worked on the script for a year, with Jr Bachchan meticulously documenting his character’s thoughts. Despite the film’s promising development, its sensitive subject matter led to its cancellation.
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The director detailed that the film’s plot revolved around Abhishek Bachchan playing a Pakistani terrorist motivated by his father’s wrongful imprisonment. The character infiltrates India to rescue his father, only to form an unexpected bond with a police officer. The climax sees him being killed and his body sent back on the Samjhauta Express.
Mehra expressed that the film’s theme, highlighting the ongoing hatred between nations and its impact on innocent lives, was deemed too provocative. The industry worried about Abhishek Bachchan’s debut role as a Pakistani terrorist stirring controversy, leading to the project being scrapped just months before filming. In a moment of frustration, he burned all the research, script, and look test photos related to the film.
In a past interview with Galatta Plus, Abhishek Bachchan shared a humorous anecdote about pitching the film to his father, Amitabh Bachchan. After facing rejection from numerous directors, he and Rakeysh Mehra wrote the script for Samjhauta Express themselves. When they presented it to Amitabh, he bluntly dismissed it as “bakwas” (nonsense) and told them to leave. Abhishek eventually made his debut with Refugee and later collaborated with Mehra on Delhi-6.
