Rumours were rife that iconic screenwriter duo Salim-Javed’s last collaboration, Mr India (1987), was originally penned with Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in mind. However, things didn’t materialise, and Indian cinema witnessed the end of a prolific partnership in 1981. While many assumed Big B had a part to play in it, Javed Akhtar, on Mid-day’s Sit With Hitlist series, clears the air once and for all. 

Amitabh Bachchan was the OG Mr India 

Salim-Javed originally penned the script of Mr India keeping Big B in mind. Javed recalled that noted director and producer Pramod Chakravorty was making a film with Amitabh Bachchan in the lead. The megastar was shooting in Europe and was expected to be at the muhurat shot. Since Big B couldn’t, his voice recording was played on a cassette. The veteran star explained, “That gave me an idea that if this voice is so popular and so effective, why can`t we make the invisible man with him? And he won`t have to give me dates. Most of the time, he will dub his voice. When we (Salim-Javed) parted, the situation changed.”