According to the interview given by actor Pran written in a book, when Prakash Mehra thought of making a film on the story written by Salim Javed, he first went to Shammi Kapoor.
Shammi Kapoor refused to do the work saying that there was no scope for dancing and singing in this film. After this he went to Dev Anand and he liked the story but he had a condition that this film should be made under the banner of his production company Navketan but Prakash Mehra did not agree to this.
After this Prakash Mehra went to the prince. Rajkumar liked the role but he said that it would be better if the film was shot in Madras because his another film was being shot in Madras, but Prakash Mehra refused to do so because his film was set in Bombay.
Since Prakash Mehra had already taken Pran in his film for the role of Sher khan, hence Pran Saheb knew about Prakash Mehra’s dilemma for the hero of this film. In those days, Pran’s younger son Sunil Sikand used to work in Madras and where he used to live, he also had a friend in his room whose name was Ajitabh Bachchan.
When Sunil came to know about the film from his father, Sunil also told this to Ajitabh during conversations. Ajitabh told Sunil that his brother Amitabh is also struggling in Mumbai to work in films and just now one of his films Bombay to Goa has been released, if possible, ask your father to watch his brother’s film.
. On Sunil’s insistence, Pran told this to Prakash Mehra and Salim Javed and all three went to see Bombay to Goa. In the very beginning scene of the film, there is a fighting scene of Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha, seeing which Prakash Mehra shouted in the cinema itself, I have found, I have found the hero of my film.
The audience turned to look at Prakash Mehra. All three came out of the cinema after watching this scene without watching the entire film, deciding that Amitabh Bachchan would be the hero of their film.
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