For millions, Amitabh Bachchan is a cinematic legend, but for actor Jaideep Ahlawat, his films were woven into the very fabric of life. In his village, the arrival of a newborn wasn’t complete without celebrating with Bachchan’s classics, a tradition so heartfelt that even Big B was visibly moved when Jaideep shared it on the ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ stage.
Appearing on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, Jaideep shared a memory that instantly lit up the set. He said, “Growing up, whenever a baby was born in my village, the celebrations always included screening your films: Deewar, Zanjeer, and Don. Because of this tradition, I must have seen each of those movies well over a hundred times.”
The nostalgia didn’t end there. Jaideep fondly recalled how another Bachchan classic defined the soundscape of his childhood. “Separately, the audio cassette of Sholay was an integral part of our festivities. Every major holiday — Holi, Diwali, and others — we would gather, and the entire village would listen keenly to the movie’s soundtrack and dialogue, playing the full cassette from start to finish,” he said.
In the upcoming episode, Jaideep is joined by Manoj Bajpayee and Sharib Hashmi as they promote ‘The Family Man 3’, bringing along stories that left the audience smiling and emotional. Manoj revisited the unforgettable moment he first met Amitabh Bachchan nearly three decades ago during a screening of ‘Satya’.
Recalling the incident, he said a mischievous film journalist forced him into the encounter. “A well-known film journalist tricked me into stepping out of the car and locked it from inside, forcing me to stay out and meet Amitabh Bachchan instead of hiding.” Nervous and overwhelmed, Manoj fled. “I ran straight into the washroom and locked myself inside,” he added.
When he finally stepped out, he had no idea who was waiting outside. “Abhishek told me he had seen him run in and had waited to say hello.” And then came the moment that left him stunned.
“And then, this tall, towering figure appeared right in front of me: Amitabh Bachchan himself. Time just stopped. I couldn’t hear anything. My mind went blank,” he said.
Manoj continued, “Amitabh sir was holding my hand and was talking to me, and I had gone deaf; I could not process the whole scene. Overwhelmed, I mustered the courage to ask, ‘Sir can I may I hug you?’”
Decades later, on the KBC stage, Manoj asked for another hug – creating a touching full-circle moment that left fans nostalgic and deeply moved.
– Ends
Published By:
Pritinanda Behera
Published On:
Nov 19, 2025
