102 Not Out: Amitabh Bachchan & Rishi Kapoor Go Down Memory Lane

The veteran actors look back at their magnificent cinematic journeys.

Rishi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan in conversation at the Royal Opera House. 

(Photo Courtesy: Universal)

At a private event held at the Royal Opera House on 26 April in Mumbai, thespians Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor addressed a handpicked audience about their upcoming film 102 Not Out. The two veteran actors will be seen on screen after almost two decades, and one cannot deny the diverse filmography they have created together. Films like Amar Akbar Anthony and Naseeb won over audiences across the nation and it was only a matter of time that the two were to share the Royal Opera House stage once again, where their film, Amar Akbar Anthony, ran for a legendary time.

Team 102 Not Out on stage. (Photo Courtesy: Universal)

The thespians let flow a treasure chest of memories. Rishi Kapoor recalled a particularly significant memory - that of the first scene he ever shot.

“I’ve been told that when I was little, there was a shot I had to give for ‘Shri 420’. The shot was just walking by in the rain. When we would rehearse for the shot, and the rain would start, I would start to cry, due to which the shot could never be completed. At the time, Nargis <i>ji</i>, (Nargis Dutt) bribed me with a chocolate so I would keep my eyes open during the shot, and not cry. So I took up that bribe, kept my eyes wide open only for that chocolate and I gave the shot and it was the first ever shot I gave.”

Rishi Kapoor, Actor

Rishi Kapoor (extreme left) in Shri 420. (Photo Courtesy: YouTube Screenshot)

The 70s were an unforgiving decade, specially for the film industry. As a newcomer, Amitabh Bachchan had a trying time too. He enthralled the audience with the tale of how extensively he prepared for a shoot, at a time when reels were highly limited.

“For people like me, who were newcomers, it was frightening because we had to get it right in the first take. You never had an opportunity for a second take because they couldn’t waste the film. If you did make a mistake, even once or twice, you could be replaced. Due to that fear, we would prepare and rehearse so the shot could be completed in one take. That, in turn, became a habit. When we work, even now, the moment we start our dialogue and feel it is going wrong, we ourselves call for a cut. <i>Taaki</i> film <i>bach jaaye</i>.”

Amitabh Bachchan, Actor

Rishi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan in conversation. (Photo Courtesy: Universal)

How does he feel about working in the digital era, one where film is infinite?

Now that I’ve had the opportunity to work with today’s generation, with the modern generation, there’s no need to stop in the digital age. You can give as many re-takes as required. There is no danger of time.

Amitabh Bachchan

The Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor-starrer, 102 Not Out aims to celebrate, as its director Umesh Shukla puts it, the youthfulness of human life and encourages people to stay curious. The film will be in cinema houses on 4 May.

102 Not Out is based on a play by Saumya Joshi, a Gujarati poet, writer, playwright, director, and actor. The play, and the film, is about a 102-year-old, who has set out to break the record of the oldest man alive and is hilariously aided by his 75-year-old son.

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