In a stunning revelation that sheds light on one of Bollywood's most extravagant misadventures, Kunal Kapoor has detailed the chaotic and wildly overbudget making of the 1991 film Ajooba. Directed by the legendary Shashi Kapoor and starring Amitabh Bachchan, the film is remembered not for its box office success but for its unprecedented financial spiral, fueled by a massive crew, first-class travel, and an astonishing 650 kilograms of dal transported to the Soviet Union.
The Lavish Russian Expedition That Broke the Bank
During a candid conversation on Pooja Bhatt's podcast, Kunal Kapoor, son of the late Shashi Kapoor, peeled back the curtain on the film's troubled production. The project, conceived as a grand India-USSR collaboration, quickly saw its budget balloon. A crew of 200 people was flown from India to Moscow, all traveling club class, a luxury that significantly escalated costs.
Kunal Kapoor highlighted the lack of financial restraint, noting that even character actors with minor roles stayed for the entire three-week schedule in the USSR, regardless of whether their shooting commitment was just two days. "Then you wonder why the film went over budget," he quipped, encapsulating the production's free-spending ethos.
650 Kg of Dal and a Kitchen to Combat Bland Food
One of the most remarkable anecdotes from the shoot involved a very specific culinary crisis. The Indian unit found Russian food "extremely bland and boring," leading to intense cravings for home-style meals. The solution was as ambitious as the film itself.
"When I went up there, I carried 650 kgs of dal," Kunal shared. The production didn't just stop at pulses; they transported an entire kitchen setup to Russia to ensure the team could eat familiar Indian food throughout the long schedule. This extraordinary measure added another layer of logistical complexity and expense to the already costly venture.
Romances and Heartbreak in Yalta
Beyond the budgetary woes, Kunal Kapoor's recollections painted a vivid picture of life on location. With such a large crew stationed for an extended period in the USSR, personal dynamics flourished. "I think in Yalta, everyone had a girlfriend. The Indian unit got a lot of female attention there," he recalled.
This led to emotional farewells when the shoot wrapped up. "Lots of hearts were broken when they left, a lot of drama happened," he added, highlighting the human stories that unfolded behind the scenes of the cinematic spectacle.
The Aftermath: A Historic Box Office Disaster
Despite its star-studded cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia, Rishi Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, and Amrish Puri, Ajooba proved to be a colossal financial failure. Made on a reported budget of Rs 8 crore—making it the most expensive Indian film of its time—it managed to recover only about Rs 3.5 crore.
The film, a fantasy adventure where Bachchan played a masked superhero, was co-directed by Soviet director Gennady Vasilyev. It was shot during the twilight of Mikhail Gorbachev's era, just before the fall of the Soviet Union. While it tanked in Indian theatres, being dismissed as a costume drama, it found a degree of success in the USSR. The film also holds the distinction of being the final cinematic collaboration between India and the Soviet Union.
For Amitabh Bachchan, who was hoping for a career revival with this Shashi Kapoor magnum opus, the film's failure was a significant setback. The story of Ajooba remains a fascinating case study in unchecked ambition, cross-cultural filmmaking, and how logistical excess can doom even the most well-intentioned projects.
