When Amitabh Bachchan was in debt of over ₹90 crore: ‘Creditors used to land at our door, be abusive, threatening’

Amitabh Bachchan was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1999 when his venture, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Ltd (ABCL), faced major losses. The failure of the production, distribution and event management company plunged him into debt. He recalled this tough time in a 2013 interview and how creditors would land up at his home.

Eventually, Amitabh Bachchan bounced back with the success of Mohabbatein and his television debut, Kaun Banega Crorepati, which recently completed 21 years of its launch.

Talking to Mail Today in 2013, Amitabh said that he owed more than ₹90 crore to different people. “I paid back one and all, including Doordarshan. When they asked for the interest component, I did commercials in lieu for them. I can never forget how creditors used to land at our door, be abusive, threatening and demanding, and worse still, when they came for ‘kudkee’ at Prateeksha, our residence,” he said.

“Without a doubt that was one of the darkest moments in my 44-year professional career. It made me sit and think, I looked at the options before me and evaluated different scenarios. The answer came pat - I know how to act. I got up and walked to Yashji (Chopra, filmmaker), who stayed behind my house. I implored him to give me work. That is when the worm turned, he gave me Mohabbatein,” he added.

Also read: Arjun Kapoor says it ‘still sounds very strange’ when Janhvi Kapoor calls him ‘bhaiyya’

Amitabh, 78, is now one of the busiest actors in the country. Last year, he made his digital debut with Gulabo Sitabo, co-starring Ayushmann Khurrana. His upcoming projects include Chehre, Jhund, Brahmastra, MayDay and Goodbye.

Meanwhile, Amitabh will also return to the small screen with Kaun Banega Crorepati 13, the registrations for which began in May. He has been hosting the show since its inception in 2000, except the third season, which was hosted by Shah Rukh Khan.