Anjjan Srivastav was a trusted companion of Amitabh Bachchan during the period when his financial losses were at their peak.
Veteran actor Aanjjan Srivastav, who has been part of hundreds of Bollywood films, has witnessed the changing face of Bollywood and the changing fate of actor Amitabh Bachchan. Aanjjan recalled how Bachchan was caught in the middle of the Bofors scandal in the 1980s, which took a toll on his confidence, but he was later cleared of any wrongdoing and continues to be a superstar in the film industry.
In an interview with Rajshri Unplugged, Aanjjan shared a memory of when he met Amitabh Bachchan during that time. Aanjjan said, “I went to Filmistan, where the movie Toofan was being filmed, to see how he was doing. During those days, there was a big protest happening against Amitabh ji in Kolkata. People were tearing down posters, and he seemed saddened by it. When I approached him and asked, ‘Brother, how are you?’ he simply replied, ‘I am fine,’ and that’s all.”
The actor mentioned that Amitabh was going through a tough time. He said, “No one cared to inquire about him. The writers in Allahabad began criticizing him, and even his father’s friends spoke ill of him without knowing the truth. He was feeling lost and in a very bad state during ABCL dayss.”
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Besides being an actor, Aanjjan was also a banker, and his bank was connected to the finances of Amitabh’s company ABCL, which faced difficulties in the 1990s. The actor shared that when he met Amitabh as a banker to discuss the loan, Bachchan “got up with folded hands” and pledged to return money as soon as possible.
“When we met him, he immediately got up with folded hands. He said, ‘I will repay your money as soon as possible.’ I told him, ‘We didn’t come here for that. We came because of a mistake made by your accountant. You can return the money when you’re able to, and we trust that you have good intentions. But please avoid doing any banking transactions with other banks in this situation.’ I returned to the bank and instructed them not to take any legal action. Gradually, he returned all the money,” Aanjjan explained.
Aanjjan Srivastav mentioned that he believes Amitabh Bachchan was caught up in a financial crisis with his company, ABCL. During that time, Aanjjan and his manager used to visit Amitabh’s office from the bank to collect financial statements. They noticed that people were taking advantage of him and deceiving him. However, Amitabh was able to overcome this difficult situation after the success of the television show Kaun Banega Crorepati and a few successful movies, which helped him pay off his debts.
Aanjjan also expressed his surprise at the fact that once KBC became popular, Amitabh distanced himself from his old friends and acquaintances. Aanjjan recently appeared in the TV series Wagle Ki Duniya – Nayi Peedhi Naye Kissey.
