The trailer of the Amitabh Bachchan-Emraan Hashmi starrer “Chehre” launched nearly a week ago and actress Rhea Chakraborty’s blink-and-miss appearance in it raised eyebrows. In fact, her absence from the new poster of the film which was released with the film’s new release date in mid-February too had created quite a stir online. 

And while producer Anand Pandit put rumours of her being ousted from the project to rest with a media statement, there’s still buzz that the length of her role in the film might just have been reduced considerably. 

On the other hand, while ‘Chehre’ trailer set tongues wagging about Rhea’s blink-and-miss appearance, on the other, producer Anand Pandit’s second film, with another Bachchan in the lead role, The Big Bull, starring Abhishek Bachchan, too created headlines for the wrong reasons. 

A day after the ‘Chehre’ trailer dropped, on March 19, makers released the trailer of The Big Bull. And as soon as it was released, netizens started comparing the film to Hansal Mehta web series ‘Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story’ and Abhieshk to actor Pratik Gandhi, who shot to overnight fame after his portrayal of Harshad Mehta in Scam 1992. 

So, we at DNA spoke to producer Anand Pandit about his two films ‘Chehre’ and The Big Bull’ and asked him questions about all the reasons why the two films have been in the news recently including The Big Bull’s comparison with Scam 1992 and if Rhea Chakraborty’s absence from the new poster was a well-thought strategy to create interest around the film. Here’s what he said. 

“Not really. As I have mentioned earlier, a lot of turmoil has happened in her life and we wanted to give her a little bit of space. And it is not Rhea Chakraborty’s film, it’s Mr Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi’s film. So, naturally, our focus is on that. But, as a gesture, because all our artists should be there one by one, so, she appeared in the trailer. It was not a part of a strategy. And we didn’t want to ride on anyone’s agony. We have enough stalwarts in the film,” Anand Pandit told DNA when asked if Rhea’s absence from “Chehre’ new poster was a conscious decision, a strategy to create buzz about the film.

Talking about ‘The Big Bull‘, when asked if ‘Scam 1992’ dropping in October was one of the reasons for the film’s release being pushed to 2021, Anand Pandit said, “No, we have nothing to do with Scam. It is the same genre. It is about scams, business tycoons, manipulation in business etc. This genre is getting a lot of appreciation now and people are understanding it. The reason the film’s release was delayed was that we had our first schedule in January and February and after that there was lockdown. 11 days schedule was remaining. Meanwhile, Abhishek Bachchan tested positive for COVID. So, our schedule started in September and in that schedule also, the director tested positive for COVID, so we had to stop again. It was only in October that we could conclude it. Then the post-production and other things happened.”

He added, ” Meanwhile, the management of our OTT partners got changed. Everything settled around January and then we decided on the roster.”

On Abhishek Bachchan’s comparison to Pratik Gandhi and the constant comparison between the film and the series, Pandit told DNA, “People have got the wrong understanding. The Harshad Mehta series a completely different set of entertainment whereas The Big Bill is a story of rags to riches. It is about a Gujarati gentleman how uses the loopholes of the system to become a business tycoon. We are inspired, of course, by multiple happenings. We have nothing to do with Scam 1992.”

When asked if there was any hesitation or discussion on the part of the Bachchans since both megastar Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan’s film will be releasing back-to-back, Pandit said, “Honestly, not. Both the Bachchans are producers’ actors. So, they leave it on them. Also, one is on OTT and the other in theatres. So, I don’t see it as a clash,” he concludes. 

While Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Chehre’ will hit theatres on April 9, Abhishek Bachchan starter ‘The Big Bull’ will release on Disney+Hotstar on April 8.