When Rajesh Khanna accused Amitabh Bachchan of ‘playing dirty politics' during the 'Namak Haraam' shoot
In the golden age of Hindi cinema, two of Bollywood's biggest stars Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan found themselves on opposite sides of an intense off-screen rivalry.
While they had earlier shared the screen in the beloved 1971 film 'Anand,' their reunion in 'Namak Haraam' (1973) proved to be far more complicated.
According to accounts documented in Yasser Usman's biography Rajesh Khanna: The Untold Story of India's First Superstar, Rajesh Khanna believed that Amitabh Bachchan was undermining him behind the scenes, particularly with director Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Mukesh Khanna reportedly suspected that Bachchan had "poisoned" the director's mind. This led to a change in the film's original climax.
The Fight for the Death Scene
The central tension revolved around who would get the film's heroic death.
In 'Anand', Mukesh Khanna's emotionally charged death scene left a lasting impact on audiences. Hoping to recreate that legacy, he reportedly demanded that his character die in 'Namak Haraam'—a deviation from Hrishikesh Mukherjee's original script.
Rekha Reveals The Only Compliment Amitabh Bachchan Ever Gave Her | Silsila Memories Resurface
Gulzar, who wrote the film, revealed in the same book, 'We had to change the end because Hrishikesh Mukherjee had promised Rajesh Khanna the death scene.' The change caught Amitabh Bachchan off guard, who only found out on the day of the shoot.
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Undo
Deeply hurt, Big B reportedly felt betrayed and remained upset with Gulzar for several days.
A Rift That Never Healed
The tension didn't end on set. Rajesh Khanna's long-time associate, Prashant Roy, recalled that the superstar held a lasting grudge. 'During the entire shoot, he believed Amitabh was playing dirty politics. Hrishida stopped visiting frequently after that. Amitabh never came to Aashirwaad,' he shared.
The two icons never worked together again after 'Namak Haraam'. Rajesh Khanna passed away in 2012 at the age of 69, having left behind a legacy of stardom that marked the beginning of Bollywood's superstar era.
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