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Reflecting on his debut, Bachchan recently took a stroll down memory lane and recalled a special moment when he and Kareena had to be locked inside a projector room at a theatre to save themselves from the fans. In a conversation with SCREEN, the actor recounted the events leading up to . "I have vivid memories! I was filming in Manali for 'Shararat' (2002). It was a huge set with 15 actors, so I couldn't come down to Mumbai before June 29, a day before 'Refugee' released. In those days, promotions weren't as extensive, although I must admit Bebo (Kareena Kapoor, co-star) 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," Bachchan said. He added that the night before the premiere was filled with nerves and excitement. "JP sahab showed the film to the families for the first time on June 29, 2000. Obviously, 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's auspicious because rain on a big day like this is considered God's blessing." The 'Big Bull' actor recalled how the entire industry turned up to support him. "We drove in about three-four cars because there were so  . I drove to Liberty with my chachaji (Ajitabh Bachchan) and friend Sikandar (Kher, actor)... The first person I met was Mr. Yash Chopra, who gave me a big hug and great advice," he added. What followed was a memorable post-premiere night. "After the premiere, there was a dinner and party. That became a long night. I drove back home with Sikandar at seven in the morning. We stopped by at Marine Drive and sat there just to take in the moment that the film was going to release," he said. Due to bad weather, Abhishek's flight back to Manali got cancelled, giving him two extra days in Mumbai. That's when an unforgettable fan encounter happened. "I got excited and called up Bebo. She said, 'Let's go to the theatres.' So we went to Gaiety Galaxy and Chandan Cinema, which unfortunately is not there anymore. It was terribly exciting! We had to be locked in the projector room because the audience got to know we were there. I still get gooseflesh talking about it." Reflecting on his journey since, he added, "I think my features have remained constant. I'd like to believe everything else has changed... That's been my quest, to a certain extent. I hope I've managed to evolve as an artiste. The audience, the tastes, and the movies also change, so should the actor." 'Refugee', directed by JP Dutta and inspired by Keki N Daruwalla's short story 'Love Across the Salt Desert', explored the lives of illegal migrants crossing the India-Pakistan border through the Rann of Kutch. Though it received mixed reviews, the film was declared a semi-hit and was the fifth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2000.