Rajinikanth Recalls Amitabh Bachchan’s Rs 90 Crore Comeback

At the Vettaiyan audio launch, Rajinikanth looked past the usual film talk and told a story about Amitabh Bachchan’s hardest professional chapter. It was not a eulogy for a failed venture; it was a reminder of how the veteran actor rebuilt his life, asset by asset.

A debt that cost him his Juhu home

Amitabh Bachchan formed Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited at the height of his movie stardom. The company ran into deep financial trouble, and Rajinikanth told the audience it left roughly Rs 90 crore in outstanding dues. To settle that burden, Bachchan sold his Juhu residence and other Mumbai properties.

Rajinikanth also remembered how the Bombay film industry reacted. He said people “again laughed seeing this,” because the superstar was suddenly taking on advertisements and other work to recover lost ground.

Three years, 18 hours a day

The numbers in Rajinikanth’s tribute paint the comeback. At 64, and with what he described as a body full of problems, Amitabh Bachchan worked 18-hour days for three years. He cleared every due, then reversed the real-estate loss. Rajinikanth’s punchline was simple: the actor did not just buy back his old house, he added two more homes on the same lane.

The key details:

• ABCL’s collapse left about Rs 90 crore in debt.
• Amitabh Bachchan worked 18 hours a day for three years to clear it.
• He bought back his Juhu home and added two more houses on the same lane.

Why the story still matters

For younger fans who know Amitabh Bachchan mostly from KBC and late-career blockbusters, this story reframes that period. The relentless ads and schedules were not a star fading out; they were a disciplined, public rebuild. It also explains the closeness between the two leads of Vettaiyan—Rajinikanth has called Bachchan his mentor and the “phenomenon,” and the pair had not worked together for 33 years before reuniting.

The two shared screen space in Andhaa Kanoon (1983), Geraftaar (1985) and Hum (1991). Vettaiyan, initially referred to as Thalaivar 170, was directed by TJ Gnanavel and produced by Lyca Productions. Rajinikanth led the film, Amitabh Bachchan played Sathyadev, and the cast included Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati, Manju Warrier, Ritika Singh and Dushara Vijayan. The film opened in theatres on 10 October 2024.

Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in Kalki 2898 AD.

Source: Bollywood Hungama

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