In an interview on the SAM YouTube channel, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar reflected on how Rajesh Khanna enjoyed a brief reign as Bollywood’s top star, before the ‘unbelievably good actor’ Amitabh took over the spotlight.
Javed reminisced about a time when Rajesh Khanna was so popular that even children seemed to recognize his name before saying ‘mumma’ or ‘papa’. However, his immense success was short-lived. Akhtar shared that it became challenging to collaborate with Khanna due to the overwhelming presence of sycophants around him, leading them to part ways professionally. Later, they rekindled their friendship and worked together on a film. Akhtar explained that the kind of scripts he and Salim Khan were writing were better suited for someone like Amitabh Bachchan, who, although not yet a superstar, was an incredibly talented actor. They believed he was perfect for their character, Vijay.
Akhtar, reflecting on his time writing for Rajesh Khanna in films like Haathi Mere Saathi and Andaz, explained the difference in working with actors like Amitabh Bachchan or Dilip Kumar. He noted that with such talented actors, writers could confidently give them challenging scenes, knowing they would deliver flawlessly. In contrast, with actors of limited talent, the writing had to be simplified. Akhtar emphasized that Bachchan, in particular, could handle any scene or dialogue with ease, making even the most complex lines feel natural.
Bachchan starred in several iconic Salim-Javed films like Sholay, Don, and Deewaar. In a recent interview with NDTV, Salim Khan reflected on the moment when Javed Akhtar expressed his desire to split their partnership. Salim revealed that if there had been one person capable of preventing the split, it would have been Amitabh, given his close association with both writers and their shared success.