The 1990 film Agneepath, starring Amitabh Bachchan, marks 35 years since its release on February 16. Though not an immediate box office hit, the film gradually became a cult classic, with its dialogues and characters leaving a lasting impact. Over the years, several fascinating behind-the-scenes stories have emerged, adding to its legacy.
One of the most iconic lines in Bollywood history—Vijay Deenanath Chauhan—was initially delivered in a deep, heavy voice that Amitabh Bachchan had modeled after a man from music composers Kalyanji-Anandji’s circle. However, audiences were so taken aback by the unusual tone that they assumed there was an issue with the theater’s sound system. The backlash forced Amitabh to re-dub the entire film in his natural voice, though he still believes the original version had a unique impact.
The making of Agneepath was also deeply personal for producer Yash Johar’s family. Karan Johar once revealed that his father was going through financial difficulties when his mother, Hiroo Johar, suffered a heart attack. Amitabh, upon learning about their struggles, immediately committed to working on a film with Yash Johar, which eventually became Agneepath, inspired by Scarface.
Interestingly, the iconic song Jumma Chumma De De from Hum was initially created for Agneepath. Actor Archana Puran Singh shared in an interview that Amitabh felt the song wouldn’t align with his gangster character and decided against it. Archana was also the first choice for the track before Kimi Katkar ultimately performed it in Hum.
Mithun Chakraborty’s role as Krishnan Iyer, one of the film’s most memorable characters, had an unexpected real-life inspiration. According to IMDb, Mithun based his performance on his struggling actor roommate, Devio. The two once had a disagreement when Mithun used Devio’s bed while he was at work, leading to a humorous confrontation. This small real-life moment helped shape the quirky yet lovable character in Agneepath.
Even after 35 years, Agneepath remans an iconic film, proving that true classics never fade—they only grow stronger with time.
