Today marks 25 years since the Bollywood debut of current industry superstars Abhishek Bachchan and Kareena Kapoor Khan. Helmed by J. P. Dutta, known for his war-centric films detailing the India-Pakistan conflict, Refugee quickly became one of his best and it's also well known for launching the young actors’ careers.
In an interview with Indian Express, Abhishek recalled the day when the film was released—June 30, 2000. At the time, he was preoccupied with the filming of the 2002 dramedy Shararat. “In those days, promotions weren’t as extensive, although I must admit Bebo (Kareena) and I were the first ones to start the city tour. We also had an audio launch earlier, after which I went for the outdoor shoot."
He shared how Dutta screened Refugee for the families a day before the film’s release. “I couldn’t sleep that night. It rained on the day of the premiere. Everybody panicked because the premiere was at Liberty Cinema (in South Mumbai), but I said it was auspicious because rain on a big day like this is considered God’s blessing."
“When I reached, it was so wonderful because the entire film industry had shown up. That relaxed me because being someone who’s born in the film industry, they’re all your extended family,” he continued.
Bachchan also recalled going to local theatres with Kareena to watch their film together. Calling it an exciting experience, he said, “We had to be locked in the projector room because the audience got to know we were there.”
Kareena also celebrated the 25th anniversary of her debut. Taking to Instagram, she posted stills of Refugee to mark the occasion. “25 years and forever to go…,” she captioned the post.
