Amitabh Bachchan recalls how women would take dirt from Rajesh Khanna’s car tyres, apply it on their forehead: ‘Kya aura tha’
Legendary writer Javed Akhtar celebrated 50 years of his iconic film Deewaar on Tuesday, which he co-wrote with Salim Khan. However, before Amitabh Bachchan became the face of Deewaar, he had already starred in Salim-Javed’s Zanjeer, a film that revived his struggling career in one stroke. The actor recently spoke about this during an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati, where he candidly recalled how the failure of his initial films had left him so disheartened that he even considered quitting acting and becoming an auto-rickshaw driver. But fate had other plans when Salim-Javed chose him for Zanjeer, a role that would forever alter his career trajectory.
Speaking on the show, Bachchan said, “I had worked in two or three films, but they didn’t succeed, which left me discouraged. Before moving to Mumbai, I worked in Kolkata, earning just 400-500 rupees a month. But when I arrived in Mumbai, I was determined to make it work. I thought, if I didn’t find work in films, I would drive a taxi. I even got my driving license in preparation."
It is no secret that Rajesh Khanna, the superstar of that time, was being considered for Zanjeer. However, Salim-Javed insisted on casting Amitabh Bachchan for the role. Recalling how he bagged Zanjeer and eventually surpassed Khanna’s superstardom, he said, "Eventually, I found work, and Abbas saab gave me my first break. Zanjeer was written by Salim-Javed, and it was a turning point in my career. At the time, Rajesh Khanna was the biggest superstar in India. Kya aura tha, kya following thi…His presence was so powerful that when he arrived, women would take the dirt from his car's tyres and apply it to their foreheads as a blessing. I was a nobody, but then Salim-Javed came to meet me and offered me the story. I didn’t expect to get the role, but I did, and that’s how I got Zanjeer.”
Bachchan also shared how his film Bombay to Goa indirectly helped him secure Zanjeer. He said, “Javed Saab told me that in one of my films, Bombay to Goa, there’s a scene where I’m sitting in a restaurant when Shatrughan Sinha slaps me. The scene was supposed to lead to a fight, but when I stood up, I was still chewing the sandwich I had been eating. That moment made Javed saab believe I could handle the role in Zanjeer."
Sharing a memorable behind-the-scenes anecdote from the set of Zanjeer, Bachchan revealed, "On my first day at work and I had to say a dialogue to Pran sir, a man of extraordinary talent. I was initially hesitant to say these lines to him but he was extremely supportive and asked me to go ahead with it.”
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