After bidding an emotional adieu to the 16th season of the game show Kaun Banega Crorepati, megastar Amitabh Bachchan has his attention trained on his next, Kalki 2, co-starring Prabhas, Kamal Haasan, and Deepika Padukone. The sequel to the 2024 film Kalki 2898 AD, Nag Ashwin’s dystopian science fiction will offer more screen time to Bachchan, we hear. 

A source says, “He begins shooting in May, and his screen time has been increased. Filming is expected to continue till June 15, and following that, Amitabh is expected to kick off the next season of KBC in July. The next edition of the quiz show airs in August.” Bachchan, we’re told, will begin prepping for his role of Ashwatthama from the end of this month.

“The sequel will take forward his and Bhairava/Karna’s [Prabhas] story, and their role in rescuing Sumathi’s [Padukone] unborn child. It will be grander than the last one as Prabhas and Bachchan also confront the evil Supreme Commander, Yaskin [Haasan]. So, three titans will clash.”

For those familiar with the tale of the original film, the source shares that the upcoming sequel will also introduce a fourth world, Flux Lands, and a tribe called the Nomens.

“While a 30-day filming leg concluded last year, a lot of action portions still need to be shot. As Bachchan plays an immortal being from the Indian mythological epic Mahabharata, he will also be seen doing more action with weapons. They will shoot on the outskirts of Hyderabad, where a massive set has been constructed. The first film was shot in Shankarpally.”

It has been 25 years; Amitabh Bachchan has been sitting across the hot seat, quizzing contestants while subtly giving them hints and keeping Kaun Banega Crorepati entertaining with anecdotes. Next week, the reality quiz show kicks off the celebration, Gyan Ka Rajat Mahotsav, on January 20. Contestant Vinay Gupta from Kathu takes the hot seat as a representative of his village, becoming the first-ever contestant from his hometown to feature on KBC. The cherry on the cake comes when he gets Bachchan to spout one of his iconic dialogues from Zanjeer (1973).

Bachchan gets into action mode and recites the dialogue, “Jab tak baithne ko na kaha jaye, seedhi tarah khade raho. Ye police station hai, tumhare baap ka ghar nahi.” After the thunder of applause, he smiles and explains how he had to say this dialogue on the first day of shooting. “I was initially hesitant to say these lines to Pran sir, a man of extraordinary talent, but he was extremely supportive.”

Written by Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, Zanjeer was the turning point of Bachchan’s career after his debut with Saat Hindustani (1969). The senior actor confesses that, at that time, the late actor Rajesh Khanna was the biggest superstar in India.

“Kya aura tha, kya following thi… His presence was so powerful that women would take the dirt from his car’s tyres and apply it to their foreheads as a blessing. I was a nobody, but Salim-Javed came to meet me and offered me the story. Javed saab said he had seen me in a scene from Bombay To Goa [1972], where Shatrughan Sinha and I were sitting in a restaurant and he slapped me. When I stood up, I was still chewing the sandwich I had been eating. That moment made Javed saab believe that I could handle the role in Zanjeer.”

Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan’s joint appearances are often marked by their witty banter. Things, however, took an emotional turn as the duo shot for an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 16, which will be aired tonight. As part of the promotions for I Want to Talk, Abhishek appeared on the quiz show along with director Shoojit Sircar and author Arjun Sen, on whose experiences the film is based. In the episode, Abhishek recounted how Sircar pitched the film to him.

“Shoojit-da didn’t tell me the entire story. He only spoke about Arjun-da’s journey, and that alone left a lasting impression on me,” said the actor.

I Want to Talk tells the story of a man whose medical diagnosis alters his life journey, following which he reaches out to his estranged daughter. With the movie offering a retelling of Sen’s personal experiences, the author recalled his battle with cancer and how his daughter Raka became his motivation to emerge triumphant.

“My three-year-old daughter, Raka, asked me three questions, ‘What is dying? Are you dying? Will you dance at my wedding?’ I reflexively told her that I’d dance at her wedding. Seeing her eyes light up, it became my life’s mission to be there for her,” recounted Sen on the show.

Abhishek then revealed that the movie’s profound exploration of the father-daughter relationship was the primary reason he agreed to front it. He reflected, “Aaradhya is my daughter, and Shoojit-da has two daughters. We are all dads to girls, and truly understand that emotion. What resonated with me the most was Arjun’s promise to his daughter. That unwavering commitment as a father is beyond words.”