'Rishi Kapoor refused to do workshops during '102 Not Out', Amitabh Bachchan agreed to do hence he did,' recalls director Umesh Shukla talking about the bond between the two actors

Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor were seen together in iconic movies like 'Amar Akbar Anthony', 'Kabhi Kabhie', 'Naseeb'. They had done '102 Not Out' together where they played father and son. In a recent interview, director Umesh Shukla has recalled some fun anecdotes which depict the bonding between the two actors. Umesh is known for directing movies like 'OMG: Oh My God', '102 Not Out' among others. During a podcast appearance, Shukla shared some behind-the-scenes stories and highlighted the duo’s unwavering dedication to their craft.Calling the film an “experimental” project, Umesh spoke about the unique dynamic of directing two veterans with contrasting approaches to acting. “It was an experimental film we made with two yesteryear superstars who have different acting patterns – Rishiji believed in spontaneity, while Big B is a method actor,” he explained.

“He is so perfect that you can never tell that he has done his homework; there is a lot to learn from them, especially if they came together.

They had different levels of discipline, too.”One particular moment that stood out to the filmmaker was when Rishi Kapoor initially declined to participate in a preparatory workshop for the film. However, his stance changed as soon as he learned that Amitabh Bachchan was on board.

“I remember, I had said that we would do a workshop for 102 Not Out, while Big B said yes, Rishiji refused. He said, ‘We usually get the script and we act on it,’ but when I told him that Mr Bachchan had agreed to do the workshop, he also agreed,” Umesh recalled.

“Chintuji had immense respect for Bachchan sahab. They have done so many films together, and the relationship I have seen between them was brilliant.”Umesh also shared an anecdote that reflected the actors’ deep sense of discipline. Since both were portraying Gujarati characters, Shukla insisted that they not wear slippers on set to reflect cultural authenticity. “I had said that when we act on the set, actors will not wear slippers because Gujaratis don’t wear slippers at home,” he said. “I used to keep the set very clean so that they wouldn’t have any inconvenience.

I used to tell both of them that they could wear slippers in close-up shots, but they were so disciplined that they wouldn’t.”