Amitabh Bachchan's secret video for Rajkummar Rao's late mother, and the mystery that followed
Synopsis
Amitabh Bachchan quietly recorded a personal video for Rajkummar Rao's late mother on the very night she died in 2016 — because she had always wanted to meet him. Rajkummar played it once before her photograph on a pen drive, and then it was gone. The story, shared on KBC 13, is one of Bollywood's most quietly moving moments.
Key Takeaways
Amitabh Bachchan recorded a private video for Rajkummar Rao's late mother on the night of her death in 2016 , at Rajkummar's request.
Rajkummar's mother was a lifelong fan of Bachchan and had always wished to meet him in person.
The video was played once in front of her photograph and then vanished from the pen drive — the cause remains unexplained.
Rajkummar shared the story on Kaun Banega Crorepati 13 , appearing alongside co-star Kriti Sanon .
The two actors have shared screen space only once, in the 2010 film 'Rann' , where Rajkummar had a brief cameo as a newsreader.
Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan once recorded a deeply personal video message for the late mother of actor Rajkummar Rao — a gesture so private that it was played only once, in front of her photograph, before the recording mysteriously vanished from the pen drive it was stored on. The emotional story resurfaced when Rajkummar appeared as a guest on the celebrity edition of Kaun Banega Crorepati 13, hosted by Bachchan himself.
How the story came to light
Rajkummar had joined the KBC 13 hot seat alongside his 'Hum Do Humare Do' co-star Kriti Sanon. During the episode, the conversation turned personal when Rajkummar recalled a touching incident tied to the passing of his mother, who died in 2016. He revealed that she had been a lifelong admirer of Amitabh Bachchan and had always wished to meet him in person — a wish that was never fulfilled before she passed away.
Rajkummar's heartfelt request to Big B
Describing the night his mother died, Rajkummar said he reached out to Bachchan almost immediately, overcome with guilt at not having arranged the meeting his mother had longed for. In his own words, he told the host: 'When she died, I felt really guilty that I wasn't able to get her to meet you. That very night, I contacted you and told you about it. I asked you if it would be possible for you to make a short video for her, and I will not show it to anyone else, and I'll just play the video in front of her photo because she just wanted to meet you once.'
Bachchan responded without delay, recording and sending the video the same night. Rajkummar played it in front of his mother's photograph — and then something inexplicable occurred.
The video that vanished
According to Rajkummar, the video disappeared from the pen drive after being played just once. No copy surfaced, and no explanation was ever found. 'The video was supposed to be only between you and her,' an emotional Rajkummar told Bachchan on the show. What exactly happened to the recording remains unknown.
Their shared screen history
The two actors have worked together only once — in the 2010 film 'Rann', directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Bachchan played the lead role of media baron Vijay Harshvardhan Malik, while Rajkummar appeared in a brief cameo as a newsreader. Despite their limited on-screen overlap, the KBC moment underscored the quiet human connection between the two actors that extends well beyond any film credit.
The episode served as a reminder that behind the spectacle of Bollywood, moments of genuine grief, gratitude, and grace do exist — and sometimes, they are better left as mysteries.
Point of View
And how rarely that side of celebrity gets acknowledged. The 'mystery' of the vanishing video will invite scepticism from some, but for the audience in that studio, the truth of the grief was unmistakable.
NationPress
11 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Amitabh Bachchan record a video for Rajkummar Rao's mother?
Rajkummar Rao contacted Amitabh Bachchan on the night his mother passed away in 2016, asking him to record a short personal video because his mother had always wanted to meet the legendary actor. Bachchan agreed and sent the video the same night, which Rajkummar then played in front of his mother's photograph.
What happened to the video Amitabh Bachchan sent Rajkummar Rao?
According to Rajkummar, the video disappeared from the pen drive after being played just once in front of his mother's photograph. No explanation for its disappearance was found, and the recording has never resurfaced.
Where did Rajkummar Rao share this story?
Rajkummar shared the emotional story during his appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati 13, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan himself. He was accompanied on the show by his 'Hum Do Humare Do' co-star Kriti Sanon.
Have Amitabh Bachchan and Rajkummar Rao worked together in any film?
Yes, the two have shared screen space only once — in the 2010 film 'Rann', directed by Ram Gopal Varma. Bachchan played the lead role of media baron Vijay Harshvardhan Malik, while Rajkummar appeared briefly as a newsreader.
When did Rajkummar Rao's mother pass away?
Rajkummar Rao's mother passed away in 2016. According to Rajkummar, he reached out to Amitabh Bachchan that very night, overcome with guilt that he had not been able to arrange a meeting between his mother and her favourite actor before she died.
