Not many know that Amitabh Bachchan’s Khuda Gawah — one of Bollywood’s most iconic films — was shot in the middle of a war zone. Producer Manoj Desai recently recalled how the team filmed the 1992 blockbuster
in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war, with fear, risk, and tension shadowing every single day of production.
Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Desai shared that the crew faced intense pressure from the families of both Sridevi and Amitabh Bachchan before heading to Afghanistan. The late actress’s mother, deeply worried for her daughter’s safety, had sternly warned him. “Sridevi’s mother told me, ‘Manoj ji, if anything happens to her, don’t come back, otherwise I will kill you’,” he revealed.
The threats didn’t end there. Amitabh Bachchan’s mother, Teji Bachchan, had her own emotional plea for Desai. “If something happened to Munna (Amitabh) and Jaya wore a white saree, you would also commit suicide, and your wife would wear a white saree,” Desai recalled. He described both mothers’ words as protective outbursts — born from fear and love.
Despite the dangers, the crew pulled off the shoot successfully, returning home safe and sound. The film, directed by Mukul Anand and scored by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, went on to become a roaring hit, collecting over ₹18 crore in India and running for ten weeks in packed theatres across Kabul.
Years later, Amitabh Bachchan reminisced about his time in Afghanistan in a Facebook post, calling it “the most memorable trip” of his career. He wrote, “The Soviets had just left the country and power was handed over to Najibullah Ahmadzai who was a die-hard fan of popular Hindi cinema… We were treated as VVIP state guests at Mazare-e-Sharif and taken through the incredibly beautiful country in airplanes with armed escorts.”
He also shared how the team experienced Afghanistan’s warmth despite constant military presence. “We weren’t allowed to stay in hotels… a family vacated its home for us and moved to a smaller house. There were tanks and armed soldiers everywhere, but it was unforgettable.”
The actor added that the film unit was later invited by warlords for a helicopter ride. “It was an unforgettable ride… the mountains turned pink and red because of poppies growing there. We were smothered with gifts,” he recalled. Before leaving, they were honoured by Afghanistan’s then-president Najibullah, who awarded them the Order of Afghanistan.
