As a seasoned connoisseur of Bollywood history, I can confidently say that the rejection of roles by some of the industry’s biggest names in the 1970s is a tale as old as time itself. The story of Zanjeer, a film that catapulted Amitabh Bachchan to stardom, is no exception.
“As long as no one tells you to sit down with dignity, stand up…this is a police station, not your father’s house!” This famous line is from the movie Zanjeer, which was a significant milestone in Amitabh Bachchan’s career. Before Big B, the producers approached actors like Dilip Kumar, the ‘Tragedy King’, and Dharmendra, known as Bollywood’s ‘He-Man’, for the lead role, but they both declined the 1973 classic. It was only when Amitabh Bachchan agreed to play the character that the makers found their hero, as revealed by screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar during the promotion of his docuseries Angry Young Men with Salim Khan.
During their recent chat with filmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan, the duo Salim-Javed shared insights about how actors such as Dilip Kumar, Dharmendra, and Rajkumar turned down the opportunity to star in Zanjeer.
Salim mentioned that no one wanted to join, leaving none to participate. Dilip Kumar, Dharmendra, and Rajkumar were among those originally considered, but… Javed noted that they couldn’t find a suitable hero for the movie. This wasn’t limited to heroes though; even actresses refused to be part of the 1973 film when Amitabh Bachchan was chosen to play the leading role, interjected Javed.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase it as: In my professional opinion, when we proposed the idea of pairing Jaya Bachchan with Amitabh Bachchan, I believed she wouldn’t turn down the offer. Given that Amitabh was on the brink of a major comeback, I felt if Jaya accepted the role, it could catapult Big B back to stardom.
The screenwriting pair explained the plot to Jaya and mentioned that she would have fewer scenes in the movie, but emphasized that it might significantly impact Amitabh’s life. It is worth noting that Jaya previously collaborated with Amitabh on the film Zanjeer, as Salim also contributed.
As a die-hard film enthusiast, let me share some fascinating trivia about the legends of yesteryears. Besides Dilip Kumar, Dharmendra, and Rajkumar, the esteemed Dev Anand himself turned down the opportunity to star in Zanjeer. In an intriguing revelation from the series, actor Sachin Pilgaonkar disclosed that the iconic Guide actor believed the audience wouldn’t embrace him without songs in his repertoire. What a fascinating insight into the minds of these timeless stars!
Under the guidance of director Prakash Mehra, the 1973 film Zanjeer featured actors such as Pran, Ajit Khan, and Bindu. The screenplay for this movie was written by Salim Khan. Following Zanjeer, the dynamic duo Salim-Javed teamed up with Amitabh Bachchan for movies like Sholay and Deewaar, which were released in 1975.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-08-22 20:10