Kookie Gulati: Worked in stock market from 1990 to 1992

Abhishek Bachchan in The Big Bull

In what may turn out to be a definitive part, Abhishek Bachchan has slipped into the titular role of The Big Bull, which is said to be inspired by the life and times of Harshad Mehta. Naysayers may be quick to draw comparisons with Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, but director Kookie Gulati says he has brought his own interpretation to the securities scam that shook the country in 1992, even fictionalising the narrative where necessary.

The trailer, which drops today, sees Bachchan transform from the wide-eyed Hemant Shah, eager to make his mark in the world, to the unstoppable force that sends Bombay Stock Exchange to new heights. Sharing the actor's first look with mid-day, Gulati says, "My father had forced me to join the stock market, straight out of school. I worked in the stock market from 1990 to 1992. Since I had seen it all first-hand, it was easy for me to take the reins of this story. For me, it was important that the authenticity of the story isn't compromised." The director recreated Bombay of the early '90s for the Disney+Hotstar film that also stars Ileana D'Cruz, Nikita Dutta and Sohum Shah. Gulati adds, "The entire team, from my DoP [director of photography] to my assistants to the production designer and stylists, pooled in to bring the '80s and '90s alive for the audience."