Vinod Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan entered the film industry in the late 1960s, during Rajesh Khanna’s era of unparalleled stardom. At the time, Khanna was the undisputed king of Hindi cinema. However, as the 1970s unfolded, his dominance started to fade, paving the way for Vinod and Amitabh to rise as formidable rivals, challenging his reign.
Big B’s career took a remarkable turn in 1973 with Zanjeer, where his portrayal of the ‘Angry Young Man’ struck a chord with audiences, marking his comeback after a series of flops.Around the same time, Vinod was rising through powerful villain roles in films like Mera Gaon Mera Desh and Sachaa Jhuta. While Vinod eventually established himself as a leading actor, Amitabh surged ahead with hits like Zanjeer and Namak Haram, cementing his place at the top.
The rivalry between Bachchan and Khanna became evident in Zameer (1975), where critics saw Khanna as a serious contender for Bachchan’s top spot. Their competition deepened during Hera Pheri (1976), where Prakash Mehra initially considered Feroz Khan for the role opposite Amitabh. When Khan declined due to scheduling issues, Khanna stepped in but reportedly set two conditions: equal screen time with Amitabh and a salary a lakh higher than his co-star. After the film’s release, both actors received acclaim, leaving critics divided over who delivered the superior performance.
In an interview with NDTV, Vinod Khanna discussed the rivalry, suggesting that it was largely a creation of the media. He emphasized that he and Amitabh Bachchan were friends and noted that it was the fan clubs that turned their relationship into a competition between the two stars.
The successful partnership between Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna flourished in films such as Parvarish and Amar Akbar Anthony. Their sixth collaboration, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), also became a major hit. However, during this time, Vinod Khanna was contemplating a significant career shift, planning to leave Bollywood for the US to join Rajneesh’s ashram.
