When Amitabh Bachchan’s Jhund co-actor asked him ‘rote kaise hain’: ‘His situation was so harsh, he was beyond crying’

Amitabh Bachchan’s latest release Jhund has earned rave reviews. In the film, Amitabh plays football coach Vijay Barse, who inspired slum kids to take up the game. Many of the actors playing the footballers in the film are first-time actors from slums. In a recent interview, Amitabh revealed a poignant moment during the shoot where an innocuous question from one of the kids left him stunned. (Also read: Amitabh reacts to Aamir crying on watching Jhund: ‘He always gets over-excited’)

The film, directed by Nagraj Manjule, tracks the story of the real-life Vijay Barse, who pioneered Slum Soccer in India. The actors who play the young footballers were selected from slums themselves and given limited acting workshops before the shoot began.

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Amitabh said, “I remember one thing. There is a scene in the film where the kids are in tears. Before the scene, one of the kids came up to me and asked, ‘Sir, rote kaise hain (how does one cry)’. There is a lot of pain in this. This kid had reached a point where he was beyond crying. He may have never cried in his life. Probably his circumstances and the way he lived and the atmosphere he grew up in were so harsh that maybe he was beyond crying. That moment stayed with me for so long.”

The film and Amitabh’s performance have received praise from critics. But the veteran actor said it’s the young actors who deserve the praise. He said, “But really the praiseworthy portion of the film is the youngsters that have performed in it- the boys from the slum. They have been absolutely exceptional in terms of their talent. They were so natural.”

Jhund, directed by Nagraj Manjule, released in theatres on March 4. While the film has been praised by critics, it has failed to set the box office ablaze, with collections ranging from disappointing to moderate across territories.