Amitabh Bachchan, who played a series of action roles in the 1970s, is often regarded as one of the most respected actors in Indian cinema. While his screen image during his earlier years was that of an ‘angry young man’, Bachchan was, and still is, known as a gracious man who continues to be extremely professional. However, in a rare incident, Bachchan somehow got in a cold war with a film reviewer who wrote some unfavourable things about his film Hum. So much so that Amitabh invited film critic and trade analyst Komal Nahta to his house to ask if he had done something wrong.
Komal, in a chat with ANI recalled his “biggest panga” with Amitabh Bachchan. Komal recalled that he was reviewing the film for his father, Ramraj Nahta’s The Trade Magazine. He gave the review to his father and left for an international vacation. However, as soon as he came back, he received a call from Amitabh Bachchan. Komal said that his review mentioned that the exhibitors of the film might lose money.
He shared, “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.”
Komal said that after this incident, Amitabh did not speak with him for a while. “Bachchan sir didn’t speak with me, neither did I speak to him,” he said. The cold war continued until the day 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.” Komal said that since the actor was gracious enough to invite him, he had to be gracious enough to attend it. “Everything was forgotten,” he said.