Mr. India was initially planned with Amitabh Bachchan as hero, Ramesh Sippy as director, reveals producer Boney Kapoor

The cult superhero film Mr. India, starring Anil Kapoor in the titular role with the late actors Sridevi and Amrish Puri in lead roles is one of the most celebrated Bollywood films. In a recent interview, the producer Boney Kapoor, Anil Kapoor's brother, has revealed that the 1987 film was initially planned with Amitabh Bachchan as its hero and the Sholay-fame Ramesh Sippy as its director.

Talking To ETimes, Boney Kapoor shared that after launching his brother Anil Kapoor as the lead hero with Woh Saat Din in 1983, he wanted to work again with the film's director Bapu. As Woh Saat Din was the remake of the 1981 Tamil film Andha 7 Naatkal, Boney didn't wish to do another remake and asked Javed Akhtar to write a fresh script. But as Bapu got a little impatient, the project was scrapped.

"I had heard the story of Mr. India after Woh Saat Din. Javed Akhtar saab, Naresh Goyal and I were supposed to make Mr. India with Ramesh Sippy as the director and Amitabh Bachchan as the hero. But it didn’t work out. So, once when Javed saab and I were sitting, I said, 'Let’s do this picture.' He said, 'It’s an expensive picture. GP Sippy was in two minds to make it with Amitabh Bachchan. How can you make it with Anil Kapoor?", Boney told the entertainment portal.

The producer further added, "I said that we will make it. In those times, when big films with top stars were mounted with 1 and 1.5 crores, I made a film for 3 crore and 20 lakh rupees. I was 80 lakhs deficit on release, but in the first year itself, I got the money and name, and the film is remembered even today."

In the 1987 film, Anil Kapoor portrays Arun Verma, a street violinist taking care of ten orphans, whose life changes when he becomes the superhero Mr. India after he gains the power to become invisible from his late father's scientific device. Sridevi as journalist Seema Sahni plays his love interest and helps him in the fight against India's topmost criminal Mogambo, portrayed by Amrish Puri. 'Mogambo Khush Hua' became an iconic dialogue after the film's release.

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