Javed Akhtar REVEALS challenges of working with Rajesh Khanna; says THIS about Amitabh Bachchan

synopsis

The renowned writing duo of Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan, known for their successful collaborations, worked with three of Indian cinema’s biggest legends: Dilip Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, and Amitabh Bachchan. Among these iconic figures, Javed Akhtar found Rajesh Khanna the most challenging to work with, attributing it to the actor’s entourage of sycophants.

In an interview with the SAM YouTube channel, Javed Akhtar reflected on the era when Rajesh Khanna was immensely popular, to the point where a child’s first words in India might have been ‘Rajesh Khanna’ before ‘mumma, papa.’ However, Akhtar noted that this phase was short-lived. He mentioned that working with Khanna became increasingly difficult due to his surrounding group of ‘yes men,’ which ultimately led to their professional split. Despite this, Akhtar later reconciled with Khanna, and they collaborated on a film, although Akhtar felt that the kind of films they were creating were better suited for actors like Amitabh Bachchan.

The collaboration between Salim-Javed and Amitabh Bachchan proved highly successful, yielding iconic films such as Sholay, Don, and Agneepath. The writers played a crucial role in establishing Bachchan’s ‘angry young man’ persona. Javed Akhtar shared that at the time, Bachchan was not yet a superstar, but he was an exceptionally skilled actor. Akhtar believed Bachchan was ideally suited to portray the character of Vijay in their scripts.

Akhtar praised Bachchan and Dilip Kumar, stating that they were actors on whom one could rely to handle significant roles with competence. He explained that when working with actors with limited talent, they might simplify scenes for them. In contrast, actors like Bachchan could manage complex scenes effortlessly, making every line seem natural.

Over their career, Javed Akhtar and Salim Khan penned 24 films, with 22 of them being hits. Their remarkable success and high demand even led them to charge fees that surpassed those of leading actors. Their notable works include Haathi Mere Saathi, Andaz, Seeta aur Geeta, and Kranti, among others.