Sooraj Barjatya found Amitabh Bachchan intimidating

Sooraj Barjatya, a Bollywood filmmaker, described Amitabh Bachchan as "scary" when he pitched the film Uunchai to him. Barjatya recently won the National Award for Best Director for this film, which stars Bachchan in the lead role. In an interview, Barjatya shared that he felt nervous about presenting the project to Bachchan. He mentioned that he had to take two anxiety medicines before their meeting over Zoom. Bachchan's intense presence made Barjatya feel intimidated. Barjatya created Uunchai after originally locking in the idea in 2016. He admitted he did not plan to direct the film but felt drawn to the project when nothing else worked out. The film focuses on three elderly friends who undertake a trek to Everest Base Camp in honor of a late friend's wish. Uunchai is the 60th film produced by Rajshri Productions. The cast includes Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta, and Sarika. The adventure turns into a heartfelt journey as the characters confront their limitations and discover the meaning of freedom. This film marks Barjatya’s return to directing after his 2015 movie, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. It won awards for Best Direction and Best Supporting Actress at the recent National Film Awards. Amitabh Bachchan was last seen in the film Vettaiyan, which had a mixed reception. He will next star in Ribhu Dasgupta’s courtroom drama Section 84, and he has a sequel to his film Kalki 2898 AD set to begin filming in December.