Union Minister Nitin Gadkari shared insights into a conversation he had with Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan regarding his films “Zanjeer” (1973) and “Anand” (1971).

Speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2024, Gadkari reminisced about watching his ‘favourite’ actor Amitabh’s films multiple times, expressing his admiration for Bachchan’s work, particularly enjoying his action-packed movies.

Additionally, Gadkari admitted to not having watched any films featuring actresses Alia Bhatt, Kiara Advani, and Taapsee Pannu.

‘I used to follow Amitabh Bachchan’

During the interaction, the minister was presented with photos of Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, and Vikrant Massey and was asked to pick his favourite.

He responded, “These actors are all good. The last film I watched was Ranveer Singh’s Bajirao Mastani in 2015.” When prompted to choose between actresses Alia Bhatt, Kiara Advani, and Taapsee Pannu, he admitted, “I have not watched any films featuring these three actresses.”

Nitin Gadkari then remarked, “You see, every generation has its own set of top heroes and heroines. For our generation, it was Amitabh Bachchan; he was our favourite.” He continued in Hindi, “I used to follow Amitabh Bachchan’s trends. I even told him once that I watched Zanjeer thrice and Anand three to four times. I thoroughly enjoyed his action films.”

Amitabh’s films Zanjeer and Anand

The 1971 Hindi film “Anand,” helmed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee with dialogues penned by Gulzar, features Rajesh Khanna in the lead, supported by Amitabh Bachchan, Sumita Sanyal, Ramesh Deo, and Seema Deo. It garnered several awards, including the prestigious Filmfare Award for Best Film in 1972.

In 1973, Prakash Mehra directed and produced “Zanjeer,” an action-packed Hindi film, with a screenplay by Salim-Javed. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Pran, Ajit Khan, and Bindu, it marked the beginning of a fruitful collaboration between Salim-Javed and Amitabh, leading to blockbuster hits like “Deewaar” (1975) and “Sholay” (1975).