Throwback: Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan in Hrishikesh Mukherji directorial Namak Haram

Throwback: Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan in Hrishikesh Mukherji directorial
Namak Haram

A throwback picture of Hrishikesh Mukherji directing Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan in Namak Haram.

The Hrishikesh Mukherji directorial “Namak Haram” featured Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan had worked together in Namak Haraam.

The film emerged as a blockbuster but it was revealed that the air was tensed amid Kaka and Amitabh Bachchan.

In an old interview, renowned actor Asrani recalled events that took place on the sets of the 1973 film. He revealed that director Hrishikesh Mukherjee had given the choice to Rajesh and Amitabh to choose the role they want to portray in the film.

While Rajesh Khanna picked the character who dies in the film, Amitabh Bachchan settled with the other.

However, by the end of the film, Amitabh seemingly started regretting passing on the role to Rajesh. Asrani, in the interview revealed that on the last day of the film’s shoot, Amitabh locked himself up in the room and Hrishi Da had to get him out of the room.

There was a basic courtesy amid the two but Rajesh Khanna suffered from a superiority complex. He believed ‘no one can shake him. he’s too powerful’. Throughout the film there was tension amid the twosome. At the onset Hrishda had asked both of them, which role they wanted to play. They were two characters, one dies, one fights back! You decide’. Those days the trend was that the actor who died on screen won all the raves.
Rajesh chose to die.

On the last day of the shoot, Rajesh Khanna’s garlanded photo frame was hung up at Mohan Studio. Amitabh came much before 9.30 am, the reporting time, went to his make-up room and sat.
At 10.30 am Hrishida came and sent his assistant Nitin Mukesh to call him for the shot.

Nitin returned saying he wasn’t opening the door. Apparently, Amitabh was lamenting his decision of ‘not dying’ in the film.

He thought perhaps he’d be able to persuade Hrishida to change the end. But the garlanded frame was already put up and that had upset him.

Recounting the incident, the actor said, “Hrishida knocked loudly at his door and said, ‘Amit! Kya huwa?’ He said, ‘Woh photo…’ Hrishida shot back, ‘What do you mean? Or else he will remove Rajesh’s photograph and stop the film.’ Amitabh came on the set and did the shot. But after that film he became a superstar.

There’s a scene where Rajesh Khanna meets with an accident. Amitabh’s seething anger where he asks the crowd, “Kissne maara?” got the audiences clapping.

Asrani shared that ironically, Rajesh Khanna’s downslide began after Namak Haram. The ‘lover boy’ phase was over. The ‘angry young man’ had arrived.

Eventually, Rajesh’s downfall happened so drastically and Amitabh held the reigns in the 1970s and 1980s.
However, even Amitabh couldn’t break Rajesh’s record of 17 consecutive hits.

News Edit K.V.Raman