Filmmaker Apoorva Lakhia recently shared an interesting behind-the-scenes incident from the making of “Ek Ajnabee” (2005), highlighting how Arjun Rampal unknowingly tested Amitabh Bachchan’s patience. During an interview, Apoorv Lakhia recalled a late night outing in Bangkok before an early morning shoot that led to unexpected drama on set.
Despite the previous night’s outing, Amitabh Bachchan arrived on time for 5:30 AM call time, ready to shoot a crucial scene where his character meets Arjun Rampal for the first time. However, Arjun Rampal was nowhere to be seen. Apoorv Lakhia revealed that Amitabh Bachchan had made a single request—to be allowed a two-and-a-half-hour nap in the afternoon, a plan the team had accounted for. But with Arjun missing, things took an unexpected turn.
After a few hours, someone was sent to Arjun’s hotel to fetch him. As he finally arrived, the scene was shot quickly before noon to accommodate Amitabh Bachchan’s planned rest. However, when it came time to shoot Arjun’s close-up, Amitabh Bachchan decided to turn the tables. Since he had been kept waiting for three hours, he remained in his camper for exactly the same amount of time, forcing Arjun Rampal to experience the stress of an impending sunset and a delayed shoot. As panic set in, Arjun Rampal finally grasped the message. Without a word, Amitabh Bachchan had conveyed the importance of punctuality, prompting Arjun Rampal to promise never to be late again.
“Ek Ajnabee”, a remake of Tony Scott’s “Man on Fire” (2004), starred Amitabh Bachchan alongside Arjun Rampal, Perizaad Zorabian and Kelly Dorji. Apoorv Lakhia, who later directed the spy thriller series Crackdown in 2020 and 2023, reminisced about this incident as a moment of discipline and professionalism on set. Arjun and Amitabh later collaborated again in Rituparno Ghosh’s “The Last Lear” but this experience surely left a lasting impression on the younger actor.
Big B is indeed Shahenshah for a reason!
