Latest news with #RajeshKhanna:TheUntoldStoryof
India.com
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Rajesh Khanna was once jealous of Amitabh Bachchan, never worked with him again, reason will leave you shocked
Bollywood's very first superstar, who made his audience go crazy, was none other than the Kaka of the industry, Rajesh Khanna. The actor holds the record for the most consecutive hit films. He delivered 15 solo hits back-to-back between 1969 and 1971, and the record remains unbroken even now. While Rajesh Khanna worked with many actors during his golden era, there was one whom he always envied. It was none other than Amitabh Bachchan. However, many people don't know why. When Rajesh Khanna was Jealous of Amitabh Bachchan Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh worked in two films together, including Anand and Namak Haram. But, during the shoot of Namak Haram, Rajesh Khanna spoke some bitter words about Big B and even accused him of doing dirty politics. This is mentioned in the book Rajesh Khanna: The Untold Story of India's First Superstar, where writer Yasir Usman reveals that Khanna felt Amitabh Bachchan was undermining him from behind the scenes. Kaka felt this way when he was working with director Hrishikesh Mukherjee. India's first superstar expressed that Bachchan was poisoning the director's mind. That is why he changed the original climax of the film. Why Did Rajesh Khanna Hate Amitabh Bachchan? Just like how Rajesh Khanna's character dies in Anand, Kaka wanted the same scene to be kept in Namak Haram. Hence, he was persuading the director to do so. Gulzar, in his book, revealed, 'We had to change the ending of the film because Hrishikesh Mukherjee had promised Rajesh Khanna a death scene. This change shocked Amitabh Bachchan as he came to know about this big change on the day of shooting.' It is said that Amitabh Bachchan was deeply saddened by this incident. He felt a sense of betrayal, which is why he remained upset with the film's writer, Gulzar, for several days. Rajesh Khanna's friend Prashant Roy, in an interview, said that during the entire shoot of Namak Haram, Khanna felt that Big B was doing dirty politics against him. As a result, the tension between Rajesh and Amitabh escalated so much that the two never worked together again.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Rajesh Khanna accused Amitabh Bachchan of ‘playing dirty politics' during the 'Namak Haraam' shoot
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) 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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List 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.
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Why Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna never shared screen again after an iconic climactic death scene?
From Anand to Adversaries A Death Scene and the Battle for Heroism — 4331Subhash (@4331Subhash) — IndiaHistorypic (@IndiaHistorypic) Accusations, Anger, and Distance You Might Also Like: Amitabh Bachchan was once declared 'clinically dead'. How he and Jaya Bachchan reacted to Puneet Issar after the Coolie accident In the world of Hindi cinema, rivalries are often cloaked in professionalism. But sometimes, a single moment — or a single scene — can fracture even the most promising collaborations. One such fracture occurred during the making of Namak Haraam (1973), and it changed the trajectory of the relationship between two of Bollywood's biggest icons — Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan In 1971, Anand marked a powerful collaboration between Rajesh Khanna, then the reigning superstar of Hindi cinema, and a rising actor named Amitabh Bachchan. The film was a massive success and earned both critical acclaim and audience adoration. But while Anand cemented Rajesh's position, it was just the beginning of Bachchan's meteoric rise. Two years later, Zanjeer turned the tide in Amitabh's favour, positioning him as the new face of stardom — intense, brooding, and unlike the romantic heroes Bollywood had previously changing dynamics of their respective careers cast a long shadow on Namak Haraam, the next project that brought the two together. Helmed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee and written by Gulzar , the film revolved around themes of friendship, class struggle, and betrayal. But behind the camera, another quiet betrayal was his book Rajesh Khanna: The Untold Story of India's First Superstar, author Yasser Usman quotes lyricist and screenwriter Gulzar, who recalled how the original climax of Namak Haraam was rewritten to suit Rajesh Khanna's wishes. The actor had already tasted the emotional impact of an on-screen death in Anand, where his character's tragic end left an unforgettable imprint on viewers. This time too, Khanna wanted the same — to be the one who dies.'Hrishikesh Mukherjee had promised Rajesh Khanna the death scene,' Gulzar recalled. And so, despite the narrative initially being tilted towards Amitabh's character, the climax was quietly shifted. When Amitabh finally found out — on the very day of the shoot — he was devastated. 'In Hindi films, the one who dies is considered a hero, so both were keen on being heroic,' Gulzar said. 'He was crestfallen. He was so hurt that he didn't speak to me for several days. He felt I had betrayed him.'The professional snub led to a personal fallout. According to Prashant Roy, Rajesh Khanna's secretary for two decades, the actor became increasingly suspicious of Amitabh's influence on their shared director. 'Kakaji used to be very angry with Amitabh Bachchan. He used to tell his close friends that Hrishikesh Mukherjee is his favourite director, but Amitabh has filled his ears,' Roy recounted in the same bitterness spilled beyond the sets. Roy claimed that during the entire shoot of Namak Haraam, Khanna believed Bachchan was playing 'dirty politics' with the director. After the film wrapped, neither actor worked with the other again. 'During my 20 years working with Kakaji, I never saw Amitabh coming to Aashirwaad,' Roy added, referring to Khanna's bungalow. 'Earlier, Hrishikesh Mukherjee used to come quite often, but after Namak Haraam, even his visits were rare.'Though Namak Haraam became a classic and was critically appreciated for its performances, it marked the end of the Rajesh-Amitabh cinematic pairing. The unspoken coldness endured for decades. When Rajesh Khanna passed away in 2012 at the age of 69, it closed a chapter of Hindi cinema marked by shifting stardom and silent estrangements.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Rajesh Khanna believed Amitabh Bachchan ‘played dirty politics' against him; Big B felt ‘betrayed' when Namak Haraam's climax was changed
Actors Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna were seen as arch rivals for a brief period in the 1970s. Rajesh had dominated the Hindi film industry with his superstardom in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, but soon after Zanjeer released in 1973, the tide started to turn in the favour of Amitabh Bachchan. While Rajesh continued to appear in hit films across the 1970s, it was becoming evident that Amitabh was now the bigger star. The two had not shared screen space since 1971's Anand, so, when director Hrishikesh Mukherjee decided to cast the two stars alongside each other in Namak Haraam, it turned into a battle. Rajesh believed that Amitabh was poisoning the director against him and forced the director to change the climax of the film so it favoured him. Rajesh's character died a poetic death at the end of Anand, which convinced him that a death scene leaves an impression on the audience. So, when Namak Haraam came around, Rajesh insisted that his character should be the one who dies, despite the fact that Hrishikesh Mukherjee had other plans. Gulzar, who wrote the film, was quoted as saying in Yasser Usman's book Rajesh Khanna: The Untold Story of India's First Superstar, 'In Namak Haraam, we had to change the end because Hrishikesh Mukherjee had promised Rajesh Khanna the death scene.' Amitabh had no clue about this agreement, and found out about it on the day of the shoot. 'In Hindi films, the one who dies is considered a hero, so both were keen on being heroic. It was only on the day of the shooting that Amitabh finally learnt the truth. He was crestfallen. He was so hurt that he didn't speak to me for several days. He felt I had betrayed him,' he shared in the same book. ALSO READ | Metro In Dino movie review: Sara Ali Khan plays a Kareena Kapoor-coded character in Anurag Basu's annoying and exhilarating film Rajesh Khanna's secretary and associate for 20 years, Prashant Roy, said in the book, 'Those days, Kakaji used to be very angry with Amitabh Bachchan. He used to tell his close friends that Hrishikesh Mukherjee is his favourite director, but Amitabh has filled his ears. Kakaji used to say that during the entire shooting of Namak Haraam, Amitabh played dirty politics with him. During my 20 years working with Kakaji, I never saw Amitabh coming to Aashirwaad. Earlier, Hrishikesh Mukherjee used to come quite often, but after Namak Haraam, even his visits were rare,' he said. Rajesh and Amitabh never shared the screen again. Rajesh passed away at 69 in 2012.
