The 1992 Bollywood epic Khuda Gawah, starring legends Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi, is remembered for its grand scale. However, the story behind its filming is even more dramatic than the plot itself. Producer Manoj Desai has recently revealed the extreme pressures and palpable dangers the team faced while shooting in Afghanistan during a period of intense conflict with the Taliban in the early 1990s.
"Your Wife Will Face Consequences": Mothers' Stern Warnings
In a candid interview with CNN News18, Manoj Desai disclosed that he received direct and chilling warnings from the families of the film's lead stars. He recounted meeting Amitabh Bachchan's mother, Teji Bachchan, who issued a stark ultimatum. "She told me very clearly that if Munna (Amitabh) does not come back, then you don't cry. If something happens to Jaya then your wife will also suffer some consequences," Desai shared. The producer's safety was directly linked to the safe return of the stars.
The warnings did not stop there. Sridevi's mother, Rajeswari, also called him with a similar threat. "Sridevi's mother also called me, and told me that if something happens to her, then you don't come back. I got threats from every corner," Desai recalled. He added that Danny Denzongpa's wife also cautioned him to ensure nothing went wrong with her husband during the risky schedule.
Shooting Buzkashi Amidst Tanks and Fighter Jets
The primary reason for venturing into the volatile region was to film an authentic sequence of Buzkashi, the traditional and rugged Central Asian sport played on horseback. Desai mentioned that actor Danny, who had experience with the sport from Feroz Khan's Dharmatma, was to be by Bachchan's side during the shoot.
The security situation was extremely tense. "If Amitabh Bachchan had gotten shot with one bullet, it would all have been over. If Sridevi would have been shot, it would be over. Because there was a war going on," Desai told Bollywood Hungama in a past interaction. The team proceeded only after securing unprecedented military protection.
Presidential Protection in a War Zone
The crucial security blanket was provided thanks to Amitabh Bachchan's connection with the then-President of Afghanistan, Mohammad Najibullah. In a 2010 interview with PTI, Bachchan himself elaborated on this. He revealed that Najibullah, a great fan of Hindi cinema, had urged the Indian government to facilitate their visit.
"When we were discussing the script of Khuda Gawah, I said let us go to Afghanistan to shoot," Bachchan stated. The team filmed the Buzkashi sequence in Mazar-e-Sharif under the president's direct orders. "The President provided us excellent security when the shooting was on. Fighter Jet planes were keeping vigil in the sky and Army tanks were at the side of the sets. It just felt like a battlefield," the megastar described. Producer Desai confirmed the massive security detail, noting they moved with three military tanks ahead and three following them at all times.
This revelation paints a vivid picture of the extreme risks Bollywood filmmakers have sometimes taken in pursuit of authenticity. The production of Khuda Gawah stands as a testament to an era of high-stakes filmmaking, where the safety of India's biggest stars hinged on diplomatic connections and sheer luck in the middle of a burgeoning conflict.
