The story of how Amitabh Bachchan's distinctive baritone voice inspired the iconic film Mr. India is a fascinating tale of creative inspiration and unexpected turns in Bollywood history. Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar revealed that the initial concept for Mr. India stemmed from a moment during a film muhurat (launch) where Bachchan's voice was played in place of his physical presence. This sparked the idea: "If this voice is so popular, so effective, why can't we make the Invisible Man with him?".
Akhtar envisioned a scenario where Bachchan could lend his powerful voice to the character, even without being physically present for most of the shooting. This would also ease scheduling conflicts, as Bachchan could dub his lines later. The concept was initially developed with Salim Khan, his writing partner at the time. Together, Salim-Javed were signed to write the story and screenplay.
However, things didn't go as planned. Salim Khan stated that Amitabh Bachchan believed that this concept of invisible man wouldn't work as fans come to see him in theatres. According to Javed Akhtar, the idea of Mr. India came before the split with Salim Khan. The duo parted ways, and Akhtar continued to develop the script independently. He also decided not to work with Bachchan for 10 years to quash the rumours about their split.
Akhtar developed the screenplay and dialogues. He also wanted to add a children's angle, believing that kids would be fascinated by the idea of an invisible man. Despite the compelling story, Akhtar faced considerable skepticism from the film industry. Many felt that a film about an invisible man was a "gimmick" and wouldn't be successful, pointing to earlier, less successful films with similar themes.
Ultimately, Boney Kapoor recognized the potential in Akhtar's script. He decided to produce the film, envisioning it as a launch vehicle for his brother, Anil Kapoor, alongside a prominent actress like Sridevi. Anil Kapoor and Sridevi were cast as the main protagonists, and Amrish Puri was cast as the antagonist.
Mr. India was released on May 25, 1987. It became a commercial success and was the second highest-grossing film of the year. The film tells the story of Arun Verma (Anil Kapoor), a violinist and philanthropist who receives a cloaking device that grants him invisibility. He uses the device to help children and people of India from Mogambo (Amrish Puri).
The music for Mr. India was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, with Javed Akhtar penning the lyrics. Some of his songs include "Zindagi Ki Yehi Reet Hai". Kapoor approached Kapur to make another film with similar themes, after watching his previous film Masoom, a family drama about children. Principal photography started in July 1985, and finished after 350 days.
Even though Mr. India wasn't ultimately made with Amitabh Bachchan, the film's origin remains linked to his iconic voice. The film remains a classic in Indian cinema.
