Amitabh Bachchan is a legend and one of the best actors of Hindi cinema. While one may assume that largely he might have been a favourite of the critics, he had once invited a film critic home who wrote a bad review of his film ‘Hum’. The film also starred Rajinikanth and Govinda. In an interview, film critic and trade expert Komal Nahta recalled how Bachchan had called him and his father Ramraj Nahta home.
Nahta had written in his review of ‘Hum’ that the exhibitors may lose money. This comment didn’t go down well with Bachchan. Thus he invited them home. Komal recalled that he wrote this review and went for an international vacation. He wrote this for his father Ramraj Nahta’s ‘The Trade Magazine. As soon as he was back from his trip, Big B called them.
Komal said, “Soon after this, Amitabh Bachchan called, and invited me and my father home. He spoke nicely, and then asked my father, ‘Ramraj ji, humse kya galti hui hai? (What mistake have I made?)’ My dad replied, ‘Nothing’, so then he asked, ‘Then why did you write this?’ My father was like, ‘But this is the truth.’ He said, ‘But, no, give the film some time to breathe’.” Komal said that after this incident, many magazines wrote about the ‘Nahta-Bachchan war’ and there were “banners all across Bombay which read, ‘The Nahta-Bachchan war.”
The trade expert said that Bachchan was a very gracious man even when he called them home and is extremely professional till date. However, after this incident, Bachchan did not speak to him for a while. Komal revealed, “Bachchan sir didn’t speak with me, neither did I speak to him,” he said. The cold war continued till Bachchan won his National Film Award for Agneepath. Komal recalled, “He was gracious enough to pick up the call and said, ‘Komal, I have won this. We are having a party. Please come.’ I congratulated him. That too became a big deal that Komal went to Bachchan’s party.”
