Amitabh Bachchan has cemented himself as a stalwart in the Hindi film industry, and fans still revere his versatile acting skills. The star had not only spades of talent but was also highly dedicated to his craft. On a recent episode of Amitabh-hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati 16, a contestant named Kaushalendra Pratap Singh highlighted this trait of the star yet again with a story from the sets of the 1979 release, Kaala Patthar. During filming, Amitabh was seemingly sprayed with contaminated water, but the committed actor chose to continue the shoot without taking a break.
On a recent episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16, contestant, Kaushalendra Pratap Singh narrated an incident that took place during the filming of Kaala Patthar (1979), which highlighted Amitabh Bachchan's dedication to his profession. Kaushalendra resides in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, and works as a mediator between the government and coal buyers. Talking about his profession made Kaushalendra recall an incident he knew of involving Amitabh, and he said:
"Speaking of coal, I remember that you shot for Kaala Patthar after the Jharia Chasnala disaster, an incident that still resonates with many."
Kaushalendra went on to narrate that a dam burst during the shooting, spraying Amitabh Bachchan with contaminated water. This had a serious impact on the star's health. However, in an extraordinary demonstration of commitment and resilience, the actor chose not to pause the filming and continued with the shoot. Kaushalendra further added that this incident had also been penned by Amitabh's late father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, in a book.
The Amitabh Bachchan-starrer, Kaala Patthar was an action drama released in 1979, which drew inspiration from a real tragedy. The film was based on the Chasnala mining disaster in which an explosion in the mine followed by flooding killed 375 miners. Despite the years passing, the tragedy still lives on in the minds of those from Chasnala and surrounding regions. Yash Chopra's Kaala Patthar also starred Shashi Kapoor, Rakhee Gulzar, Shatrughan Sinha, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh, Prem Chopra, and Parikshit Sahni. Besides this stellar cast, Sanjeev Kumar and Poonam Dhillon also made guest appearances in the movie.
During the episode, Kaushalendra Pratap Singh also mentioned learning about an interesting habit Amitabh is known to practice from a book. The renowned actor always eats his food while facing the north, a practice linked to the Mahabharata, which says, "One who eats facing north attains the truth." Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Big B's late father and a renowned poet, also noted this habit of Amitabh, penning, "I think I need truth, and Amitabh needs longevity."
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Harivansh added that if Amitabh were to sit in his father's place while eating at times, they could both benefit from an exchange of truth and longevity. However, Amitabh had a firm response to the idea, saying:
"No, if I have to choose between truth and longevity, I would not want to gain longevity at the cost of truth. Our dining table at home was round. When I sat, I faced the north, while Babuji sat facing the east."
What do you think about the contestant's revelation regarding Amitabh Bachchan's commitment to his work?
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