The Amitabh Bachchan life lesson Edelweiss MF CEO Radhika Gupta says everyone should learn: From Rs 90 crore debt, 55 legal cases to remarkable comeback

Amitabh Bachchan has spent decades being celebrated as one of Indian cinema’s biggest stars, but his journey also includes a period when he faced bankruptcy, mounting debt and dozens of legal cases. With creditors arriving at his doorstep and his company collapsing, the actor found himself at one of the lowest points of his career. Years later, Edelweiss MF’s MD and CEO Radhika Gupta highlighted this chapter as a powerful lesson.

Amitabh Bachchan faced a massive financial crisis

By the end of the 1990s, Amitabh Bachchan was dealing with severe financial difficulties after his ambitious business venture, Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited, collapsed and was officially declared insolvent in 1999. The failure of ABCL left the actor facing enormous financial uncertainty. In an old interview with Vir Sanghvi, Bachchan opened up about just how difficult that period had become. He revealed that he had accumulated a debt of Rs 90 crore, while creditors were arriving at his home every day.

The situation also involved around 55 legal cases, leaving the actor facing the possibility of losing his home and assets connected to his company.

'No films, no money and I was bankrupt’

Recalling the crisis in his interview with Vir Sanghvi, Amitabh Bachchan described himself as having no films, no money and being bankrupt. He said he had around Rs 90 crore to repay and was dealing with creditors at his doorstep every day.

The actor also acknowledged the humiliation that came with the situation, explaining that when one area of life goes wrong, the consequences can spread across everything else. According to Bachchan, people began losing faith in him during that period.

Bachchan decided to return to what he did best

Amid the financial crisis, the Kalki 2898 AD actor eventually asked himself what he could do best. His answer was acting. He recalled waking up at around 4 am one morning, going to his office and sitting at his desk. He realised that acting was his core strength and decided that he needed to return to films.

That decision led him to approach his friend and filmmaker Yash Raj Chopra, who lived behind Bachchan’s house. Bachchan recalled telling Chopra that he was out of work and asking him to give him a job. According to Bachchan, Chopra immediately offered him a role in Mohabbatein. The opportunity became an important turning point as the actor began rebuilding his career.

Rumi Jaffery highlighted Bachchan’s resilience

Writer-director Rumi Jaffery, who collaborated with Amitabh Bachchan on films including Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, later spoke about the actor’s conduct during this difficult phase. Speaking on a public platform, Rumi explained that despite ABCL suffering massive losses, Bachchan did not choose to borrow money or depend on external financial support.

Instead, he continued working through the crisis. His determination eventually helped him repay his outstanding debts through income generated from hosting Kaun Banega Crorepati and returning to films with renewed intensity.

Radhika Gupta says there is a bigger lesson in his story

Edelweiss MF’s MD and CEO Radhika Gupta took to X to share a post about Amitabh Bachchan and the clip highlighting his difficult period. Gupta said the story offers an important lesson in maintaining composure and dignity, particularly when circumstances are at their worst. She also pointed to the importance of returning to one’s core when everything else fails. In Bachchan’s case, that core was acting. Her final takeaway was that no matter how successful or prominent someone becomes, they should never consider themselves too big to ask for an opportunity.