Bollywood Superstar Amitabh Bachchan Faced a Serious Head Injury During Khud-Daar The Shocking Reason Behind Its Box Office Success
Bollywood fans are well aware of Amitabh Bachchan’s shocking accident on the set of Coolie, but few know that the superstar faced another serious head injury in Khud-Daar. Released in 1982, this hit movie was directed by Ravi Tandon, produced by Anwar Ali, and had the special distinction of being the first and only film for which Kader Khan wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogues. The cast included Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Mehra, Sanjeev Kumar, Parveen Babi, Tanuja, Prem Chopra, and Mehmood. Released on 30 July 1982, Khud-Daar went on to become one of the top hits of the year.
One song from Khud-Daar that still gets everyone talking is “Mach Gaya Shor Sari Nagri Re“. This was the very moment when Amitabh Bachchan got a serious head injury on set. Originally, Amitabh had sung this song, but the team felt it didn’t quite capture the style and punch needed. Later, the song was re-recorded by Kishore Kumar, and it was his voice that added the final magic to the film.
The song involved Amitabh breaking a pot with his head. Initially, it was decided that he would break it with his hands, but later the plan changed. As soon as Amitabh struck the pot with his head, he suffered a deep cut on his forehead that needed stitches. Despite the injury, he continued with the shooting. For the second shift for the song “Gore Nahin Hum Kaale” from the film Desh Premi, Amitabh covered his wound with a wig and makeup, ensuring the scene was completed without interruption.
The success of Khud-Daar was also influenced by its release timing. Just four days earlier, on 26 July 1982, Amitabh had suffered a serious injury on the set of Coolie. Fans, already deeply affected by his accident, flocked to theaters in large numbers to show their love and support for Amitabh. This overwhelming response gave Khud-Daar a significant boost at the box office. In fact, many believe that if the Coolie accident hadn’t occurred, the film might not have created as much hype or achieved the same level of success.
Khud-Daar also had some interesting behind-the-scenes changes. Rekha revealed that it was Amitabh who requested the producer to replace her with Praveen Babi. According to her, once she parted ways with Amitabh, he actively promoted Praveen to all the producers. As a result, Praveen Babi replaced Rekha in the film, and the character was changed from a Marathi girl to a Goan Christian. Additionally, Khud-Daar marked the last film in which Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan acted together, making it memorable for fans of both legends.
