When the Amitabh Bachchan was injured on the sets of Coolie in Bengaluru, way back in 1982, he was brought to Mumbai in a critical state. But the stormy weather in the city had made it nearly impossible to find an ambulance. It was then that Bal Thackeray ensured that a Shiv Sena ambulance was made available for the injured superstar.
Recalling the incident at the teaser launch of Thackeray, Bachchan said that if it wasn't for Balasaheb, he wouldn't have been alive today. “Balasaheb helped me when I needed it most. If it had not been for him, I would not have been alive today. We were very close to each other. I respect him a lot.”
Bachchan shared other stories of his bond with Thackeray and talked about their special friendship. Describing him as a father figure, Bachchan shared another memory, from the time when he got married. Balasaheb had called him and said that he wanted to meet his wife, Jaya Bachchan. He'd welcomed her like he would his own daughter-in-law. Bachchan also said that he was surprised to find his picture in Thackeray’s room.
Thackeray, the biopic directed by Abhijit Panse, stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the Shiv Sena supremo and Amrita Rao as Meenatai Thackeray. Presented by Sanjay Raut and produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Carnival Motion Pictures and Raut’ers Entertainment LLP, the film releases on January 25.