Jaideep Ahlawat Says Amitabh Bachchan’s Films Marked Child Birth In His Village: 'Deewar, Don Were Screened'

For many fans, Amitabh Bachchan is a cinema icon. But for actor Jaideep Ahlawat, the superstar’s films were more than movie moments. They were tradition. In his village, a new life began with Big B on screen

— a ritual so unique that even Bachchan looked stunned hearing it on the Kaun Banega Crorepati stage.

Amitabh Bachchan and a village tradition starring Deewar, Zanjeer, Don

Appearing on Kaun Banega Crorepati, Jaideep shared a memory that left everyone smiling. He said, “Growing up, whenever a baby was born in my village, the celebrations always included screening your films: Deewar, Zanjeer, and Don. Because of this tradition, I must have seen each of those movies well over a hundred times.”

It didn’t stop there. Ahlawat explained how another Bachchan classic was the soundtrack of his childhood. “Separately, the audio cassette of Sholay was an integral part of our festivities. Every major holiday — Holi, Diwali, and others —we would gather, and the entire village would listen keenly to the movie’s soundtrack and dialogue, playing the full cassette from start to finish.”

Manoj Bajpayee recalls the day he froze in front of Big B

In the same upcoming KBC episode, Manoj Bajpayee and Sharib Hashmi join Jaideep to promote The Family Man 3. Manoj walked the audience through a moment he still feels in his bones — his first meeting with Bachchan, 28 years ago, during the screening of Satya.

He shared, “A well-known film journalist tricked me into stepping out of the car and locked it from inside, forcing me to stay out and meet Amitabh Bachchan instead of hiding.” That led to panic. “I ran straight into the washroom and locked myself inside,” he said. When he stepped out, the last person he expected was waiting. “Abhishek told me he had seen him run in and had waited to say hello.” Then came the moment that changed everything.
“And then, this tall, towering figure appeared right in front of me: Amitabh Bachchan himself. Time just stopped. I couldn’t hear anything. My mind went blank.”

Manoj continued, “Amitabh sir was holding my hand and was talking to me, and I had gone deaf; I could not process the whole scene. Overwhelmed, I mustered the courage to ask , ‘Sir… can I… may I hug you?’” Bachchan agreed. “Seeing all of this, Amitabh Sir warmly hugged me.”

On the KBC stage decades later, Manoj asked for another hug, turning it into a full-circle moment that fans will not forget.