In a shocking revelation that has taken the entertainment and advertising world by storm, acclaimed director R Balki has shared the hilarious yet disastrous story behind one of Amitabh Bachchan's most memorable advertising failures. The incident dates back to 2001 when Maruti Udyog (now Maruti Suzuki) launched their family van Versa with what was supposed to be a landmark campaign featuring Bollywood's first father-son duo.
The Ill-Fated Maruti Versa Campaign
During his recent appearance on the Cyrus Says podcast, director R Balki opened up about one of his most challenging professional experiences. Back in 2001, Maruti had conceptualized a major advertising campaign for their new family vehicle called the Versa. The company approached Balki to direct what would become the first-ever professional collaboration between Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan.
Balki revealed the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the campaign. "They were very confidential about the products they were releasing. I don't even think that the marketing guys had seen the car, or maybe one manager might have seen it in the factory," the director recalled. The team was shown a picture of a different van and told that was what the Versa looked like, setting the stage for what would become an advertising disaster.
The Moment of Truth in Lonavala
The production team, along with the Bachchan duo, traveled to Lonavala for the shoot, completely unaware of the surprise awaiting them. The script called for a simple scene: Amitabh Bachchan reading a newspaper on a lawn while Abhishek drives up in the new car and says, 'Hey Dad, look at my new car.'
Balki described the moment of horror when he first saw the actual vehicle. "I saw this small car coming in, with two vehicles in front of it and two behind, with this one in the centre. I was shi***ng bricks when I saw the car. This was not the car I was promised," he confessed during the podcast interview.
The situation took an even more dramatic turn when Amitabh Bachchan, known for his professional demeanor and gentlemanly behavior, saw the car for the first time. As Abhishek struggled to get into the vehicle and delivered his line, Amitabh turned around, looked at the Maruti Versa, and spontaneously reacted: "What is this piece of sh*t that you have got there?"
Aftermath and Lessons Learned
Despite Balki's strong recommendation to stop the campaign entirely, Maruti went ahead with the launch as scheduled the following week. The director immediately recognized the mismatch between the advertisement and the actual product. "The ad was saying something else, and the product was saying something else," he noted.
The campaign did generate significant initial interest because it marked the first time audiences saw Amitabh and Abhishek Bachchan together in any professional capacity. However, the excitement quickly faded when potential customers saw the actual vehicle. "People turned up to see the new car. Nobody wanted to book the car," Balki revealed, highlighting the commercial failure of both the advertisement and the product.
Balki had to employ creative workarounds during the shoot, including using a different vehicle for scenes requiring Amitabh to sit in the back seat. Despite the professional embarrassment and the campaign's failure, the director now views the experience as a valuable learning opportunity that shaped his future approach to advertising and filmmaking.
This candid revelation offers a rare glimpse into the challenges of celebrity endorsements and product marketing, demonstrating that even the biggest stars and most talented directors can face unexpected hurdles when the product doesn't match the promise.
