Projects getting announced and then shelved are part and parcel of bollywood. Sometimes those having the biggest and the most bankable names have got shelved. With Subash Ghai denying any participation of the b-town almighty Big B not part of his forthcoming ‘Sarabjit’ memories of their shelved ‘Devaa’ in 1987 flashes back.

A peep down memory lane interestingly points out that Indian cinema’s most iconic Mr. Bachchan before and after his supreme regime as the box office phenomenon - the ‘One Man Industry’ saw some of his most touted projects getting shelved for some reason or the other.

Let’s take a nostalgic dip down the memory lane on those Big B stories that started off with a bang but where left untold on screen.

Apna Paraya: A few years before Do Anjaane this Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha starrer was shot for a few scenes in 1972 and then shelved due to no takers. This was the first time Amitabh Bachchan was paired with Rekha.

Shiva: Before RGV made an impact with this title in 1978, Amitabh Bachchan was supposed to play the Big Brother in his trademark angry youngman avatar and this traditional typical lost and found masala had Romesh Sharma playing the younger brother who is against violence.

Khuda Gawah : We all know about Baadshah Khan in the unforgettable Khuda Gawah which saw Sridevi in double role against the magnificent Amitabh Bachchan in 1992 but very few know that the same Bachchan in 1978 was entitled to play a cowboy in this action drama which also starred Parveen Babi. It was shot for a couple of reels and then the producers Nazir Ahmed and Manoj Desai re used the titled in the Mukul. S. Anand directed venture which is now looked upon as a manual in some schools of direction for its brilliant capturing of Afghanistan.

Sarfarosh: Before Aamir Khan making a terrific impact as ACP Rathore, in 1979 the ‘baap’ of bollywood lost and found entertainers Manmohan Desai was supposed to direct his favourite Bachchan in the same title. Sarfarosh had the biggest and most bankable names of those times like Big B, Parveen Babi, Rishi Kapoor and Kader Khan but still it couldn,t take off.

Tiger : Salman Khan took the B.O. by storm by Ek Tha Tiger’ but in 1980 Ek Tiger bante bante reh gaya. A movie titled ‘Tiger’ was announced with Big B in the lead but due to some differences between the producers and actors this got shelved. Interestingly Amitabh Bachchan’s character in Prakash Mehra’s directed ‘Khoon Pasina’ released in 1977 was also called ‘Tiger’ the movie also stared Rekha and Vinod Khanna.

Khabardar : Can you imagine a movie starring Big B and Kamal Hassan pulled off after being shot for 16 reels. Yes this happened in 1984 when the two stalwarts Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Hassan stared in this project which was something in the lines of Anand and Whose Life it is anyway. Amitabh Bachchan played the doctor and Kamal Hassan was the played the patient. The producers pulled off this movie which talked about euthanasia fearing protest and danger.

Devaa: The most touted union of B-town biggest entertainers Amitabh Bachchan and Subash Ghai could go beyond the mahurat due to some ego clashes between Bachchan and Ghai.

Big B gave the mahurat shot standing with a mashaal in his hand, wearing a long shining robe and a turban, somewhat similar to his look in "Khuda Gawah". Subash Ghai on record has vowed not to work with Amitabh Bachchan again.

Alishaan: Based on MGM’s romantic adventure ‘Scaramouche’ this was for reasons better known to the those involved got interrupted after a weeklong shoot in 1988 for a sudden fascination of Bachchan and Javed Akhtar for Main Azad Hoon an Indian adaptation of the 1941 Frank Capra film, Meet John Doe.

Shinaakht: Starring Big B as a secret agent who loses his memory during a mission and Madhuri Dixit as a college girl. This one got discontinued after a week by Tinnu Anand in 1988 for reasons better known to him.

Bandhua: J.P. Dutta's ambitious film about bonded labourers just couldn,t see a single day of shoot. Announced in 1989 Bandhua was produced by H.A. Nadiadwala and also starred Waheeda Rehman along with Pooja Bedi.

Whatever may be the reasons many missed the opportunity to see Bachchan as a flamboyant adventures clown in ‘Alishaan’, a secret agent in ‘Shinaakht’, a cow boy in ‘Khuda Gawah’, a doctor who supports euthanasia in Khabardar..

Sometimes it becomes too ‘big’ and ‘hot’ to handle.