Filmmaker R Balki recently shared fascinating anecdotes about the making of his critically acclaimed debut film, Cheeni Kum (2007), which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Tabu. Despite its modest budget, the film outperformed Nikkhil Advani's big-budget production Salaam-e-Ishq , featuring Salman Khan, at the box office. Equipment Borrowed from Salaam-e-Ishq Sets During a session at MIT World Peace University, R Balki revealed that Cheeni Kum 's production was financially constrained, which led them to share resources with Salaam-e-Ishq .
Both films were produced by Sunil Manchanda and shot simultaneously in London. Balki recalled, “We didn’t have money to hire a jib. They were shooting Salaam-e-Ishq in Trafalgar Square, and when there was a break, the jib would be transported to the Cheeni Kum set, often without a focus puller.
We had just one camera.” Balki humorously added that Cheeni Kum became a "discount offer" for studios. “Sunil told the studio, ‘If you want Salaam-e-Ishq , you have to take Cheeni Kum as well,’” he said.
Amitabh Bachchan’s Star Power Didn’t Sway Studios Despite having a megastar like Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role, Balki noted that the industry wasn’t fully confident in the film’s commercial potential. “To me, Amitabh Bachchan was a Rs 500-crore star, but that’s not how they saw this film,” he remarked. Balki also shared how he took a three-month leave from his advertising career to work on the project, a decision his agency.
