Summary
- Reports of serious clashes between filmmaker Vinod Chopra and veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan during the making of Eklavya: The Royal Guard have circulated for years, but Chopra has now opened up about what actually unfolded behind the scenes, revealing that most of the tension came down to miscommunication and difficult production conditions rather than any real conflict.
- According to the filmmaker, tensions surfaced early in the shoot when Bachchan arrived late on the first two days, frustrating Chopra, who was working within strict time constraints and relying on limited morning light.
- Bachchan also arranged a private jet for a trip home and invited Chopra and his wife to join him, giving them what the filmmaker described as their first luxury flight experience.
Reports of serious clashes between filmmaker Vinod Chopra and veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan during the making of Eklavya: The Royal Guard have circulated for years, but Chopra has now opened up about what actually unfolded behind the scenes, revealing that most of the tension came down to miscommunication and difficult production conditions rather than any real conflict.
In his book Unscripted: Conversations on Life and Cinema, Chopra shares behind the scenes accounts from the film’s production, including moments of friction that ultimately gave way to mutual respect.
While travelling to Rajasthan for a month long shooting schedule, Bachchan recalled that his wife Jaya was convinced he would return home within days because of his reported clashes with the director. “Jaya has sent all my things. She is sure I will be back in a week and believes we can’t work together,” Bachchan reportedly told Chopra.
According to the filmmaker, tensions surfaced early in the shoot when Bachchan arrived late on the first two days, frustrating Chopra, who was working within strict time constraints and relying on limited morning light. By the third day, Chopra admitted he had become so exasperated that he briefly considered replacing the actor with Sanjay Dutt.
The atmosphere was not without humour though. At one point, Bachchan reportedly turned to the director’s wife and joked, “How do you live with this madman?”, prompting laughter.
Chopra later learned that Bachchan’s delays were partly caused by difficulties with the prosthetic beard required for his character. The actor reportedly found the process uncomfortable and was unhappy with the makeup conditions, insisting that he would not step onto the set until everything was properly arranged. One incident involved the beard prosthetics being cleaned with Dettol at Chopra’s instruction. Bachchan reportedly complained that the strong antiseptic smell reminded him of a hospital and added to his discomfort.
The following day, the actor arrived an hour early and addressed the situation directly. “I don’t like to be shouted at, sir. I was playing it safe,” he reportedly told the filmmaker.
Reflecting on the experience, Chopra wrote that many of their disagreements stemmed from poor communication rather than personal conflict. Despite the rocky start, the two developed a strong working relationship over the course of the production.
The director also used the book to dispel misconceptions about Bachchan’s conduct during the shoot. He revealed that, despite the film’s modest budget, the actor paid more than Rs65,000 in hotel expenses out of his own pocket. Bachchan also arranged a private jet for a trip home and invited Chopra and his wife to join him, giving them what the filmmaker described as their first luxury flight experience. As a gesture of gratitude following the film’s success, Chopra later gifted Bachchan a Rolls Royce valued at approximately Rs4.5 crore.
Unscripted: Conversations on Life and Cinema features a series of unfiltered conversations about filmmaking and includes several previously untold stories from Chopra’s collaborations with some of Indian cinema’s biggest stars, including Bachchan.
