When Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan shot Khuda Gawah in Afghanistan, Big B said "Najibullah Ahmadzai gave us VVIP treatment in Kabul’

When Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan shot Khuda Gawah in Afghanistan, Big B said "Najibullah Ahmadzai gave us VVIP treatment in Kabul’

• Khuda Gawah was filmed in Afghanistan during wartime.
• Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan's families feared for their safety.
• The film became a huge success and ran 10 weeks in Kabul.

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On the 8th death anniversary of Sridevi, memories of her extraordinary journey in Indian cinema continue to resurface. Among them is the unforgettable chapter of Khuda Gawah, where she starred opposite Amitabh Bachchan in what remains one of the most ambitious productions of its time.

Released over three decades ago and directed by Mukul Anand, the film saw Bachchan step into the towering role of Badshah Khan.

Producer Manoj Desai had once shared fascinating anecdotes about the risky shoot in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, he revealed how anxious the families of the cast were.

Desai recalled a stern warning from Sridevi’s mother. “Manoj ji, if anything happens to her don't come back, otherwise I will kill you,” she had told him, her words reflecting a mother’s fear during volatile times.

He also remembered a similar emotional appeal from Teji Bachchan, Amitabh’s mother. Quoting her, he said, “If something happened to Munna (Amitabh) and Jaya wore a white saree, you would also commit suicide, and your wife would wear a white saree.” Desai described both statements as anguished pleas from protective mothers worried about their children shooting in a conflict zone.

Thankfully, the entire crew returned safely. The film went on to become a roaring success, earning over Rs 18 crore in India and enjoying a remarkable 10-week run in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Years later, in 2013, Amitabh Bachchan himself revisited the experience in a detailed Facebook post. He wrote, “The Soviets had just left the country and power was handed over to Najibullah Ahmadzai who was a die-hard fan of popular Hindi cinema. He wanted to meet me and we were given the right royal treatment. We were treated as VVIP state guests at Mazare-e-Sharif and taken through the length and breadth of the incredibly beautiful country in airplanes with armed escorts. We received the traditional warmth of the locals who have a passion for hospitality. We weren't allowed to stay in hotel... a family just vacated its home for us and moved to a smaller house.”

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He further shared, “There were security problems, of course, with tanks and armed soldiers all over the streets. Still, it's been the most memorable trip of my lifetime. The unit was invited by a group of warlords, Danny Dengzongpa, Biloo, Mukul and I boarded a chopper gunship, flanked by five other helicopters. It was an unforgettable ride. The aerial view offered us the vista of purple mountains turning pink and red because of poppies growing there. Time seemed to have stood absolutely still in the valley where the chopper landed.”

Concluding his post, Amitabh Bachchan wrote, “We were smothered with gifts. In Kabul, the night before we flew back to India, Najab called us to the President's residence and decorated all of us with the 'order of Afghanistan'. That evening his uncle sang an Indian raga for us with impeccable ease.”

On Sridevi’s death anniversary, these memories stand as a testament to her courage and commitment to cinema, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.