Entertainment
50 years of Namak Haram: When Rajesh Khanna realised that his days were over and there’s a new superstar Amitabh Bachchan was born | Hindi Movie News
Hrishikesh Mukherjee 1973 drama Namak Haram completed 50 years of release earlier in the week. This was one of the films that established Amitabh Bachchan as the ‘angry young man’ of Hindi cinema. In a free-wheeling conversation with ETimes, film historian Dilip thakur reveals unknown aspects about the film and its two superstars Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan.
“Hrishikesh Mukherjee brought Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna together again after Anand.Khanna was extremely busy during those days, so Hrishi Da filmed many of Bachchan’s scenes first and he later filmed with Khanna as and when he gave his dates. That’s how the film was completed,” revealed Thakur.
He went on to reveal that Hrishi Da didn’t tell the climax to either Khanna or Bachchan. Asrani had said in an interview, “During the shoot at Mohan Studio, when asked about who will be shown dead at the end of the film, Hrishi Da said, ‘When you come to the set tomorrow, the actor’s photo frame having a garland on it will be the one shown dead in the film.’”
So, when Bachchan came onto the sets, he realised that Khanna’s character was going to be shown dead in the film. There were rumours of Bachchan getting angry at Hrishi Da. Rajesh Khanna wanted this end only because his character had died in Safar and Anand and those films were hit.
“My observation is that Hrishi Da tilted the balance towards Bachchan while watching the film so many times. The film starts with a flashback and we realise in the beginning itself that Khanna’s character will be dead by the end. But still, the story continues. Bachchan’s character takes responsibility of his friend’s death, which means as per the title Namak Haram, who betrayed the friend? Vicky, played by Bachchan,” Thakur continued.
“A trial of the film was held at Liberty Cinema. While watching the film at that trial, Rajesh Khanna realised that his days were over and a new superstar was born. At the Novelty Theatre which was the main theatre in Mumbai, Khanna came late for the premiere of the show on the eve of the film’s release. He also reached late for the film’s success party at a hotel in South Mumbai. A lot of gossiping happened about these incidents.
After the film became a hit, gossips about Rajesh Khanna arriving late on sets, trying to dominate and change the dialogue, and doing many retakes did the rounds. Those were trivia of course. But when I watched Namak Haram in Novelty Theatre, and anytime after that, I have noticed that whenever Bachchan said the dialogue ‘Kaun hai woh maai ka laal jisne mere Somu pe haath uthaya’ was said, the public in theatre would just erupt. Bachchan got his response then and there only,” Dilip recalled.
In 1973, Zanjeer was released followed by Abhimaan and Saudagar and then came Namak Haram and the era of Amitabh Bachchan began. In 1975, Deewar was released and his career just took off. But Namak Haram is an important film in the superstar’s life. Kaun Hai Woh Maai Ka Laal used to be a headline in many Marathi newspapers at that time.
“Rajesh Khanna must have thought that playing a decent man and underplaying the performance would be impressive. And there was merit to that. But people’s tastes were changing and they responded to the angry young man. When I interviewed Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of Hum, I asked him whom he credits for his angry young man image. He told me, ‘Salim-Javed for Zanjeer and Hrishikesh Mukherjee for Namak Haram,'” noted Dilip Thakur.
“Hrishikesh Mukherjee brought Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna together again after Anand.Khanna was extremely busy during those days, so Hrishi Da filmed many of Bachchan’s scenes first and he later filmed with Khanna as and when he gave his dates. That’s how the film was completed,” revealed Thakur.
He went on to reveal that Hrishi Da didn’t tell the climax to either Khanna or Bachchan. Asrani had said in an interview, “During the shoot at Mohan Studio, when asked about who will be shown dead at the end of the film, Hrishi Da said, ‘When you come to the set tomorrow, the actor’s photo frame having a garland on it will be the one shown dead in the film.’”
So, when Bachchan came onto the sets, he realised that Khanna’s character was going to be shown dead in the film. There were rumours of Bachchan getting angry at Hrishi Da. Rajesh Khanna wanted this end only because his character had died in Safar and Anand and those films were hit.
“My observation is that Hrishi Da tilted the balance towards Bachchan while watching the film so many times. The film starts with a flashback and we realise in the beginning itself that Khanna’s character will be dead by the end. But still, the story continues. Bachchan’s character takes responsibility of his friend’s death, which means as per the title Namak Haram, who betrayed the friend? Vicky, played by Bachchan,” Thakur continued.
“A trial of the film was held at Liberty Cinema. While watching the film at that trial, Rajesh Khanna realised that his days were over and a new superstar was born. At the Novelty Theatre which was the main theatre in Mumbai, Khanna came late for the premiere of the show on the eve of the film’s release. He also reached late for the film’s success party at a hotel in South Mumbai. A lot of gossiping happened about these incidents.
After the film became a hit, gossips about Rajesh Khanna arriving late on sets, trying to dominate and change the dialogue, and doing many retakes did the rounds. Those were trivia of course. But when I watched Namak Haram in Novelty Theatre, and anytime after that, I have noticed that whenever Bachchan said the dialogue ‘Kaun hai woh maai ka laal jisne mere Somu pe haath uthaya’ was said, the public in theatre would just erupt. Bachchan got his response then and there only,” Dilip recalled.
In 1973, Zanjeer was released followed by Abhimaan and Saudagar and then came Namak Haram and the era of Amitabh Bachchan began. In 1975, Deewar was released and his career just took off. But Namak Haram is an important film in the superstar’s life. Kaun Hai Woh Maai Ka Laal used to be a headline in many Marathi newspapers at that time.
“Rajesh Khanna must have thought that playing a decent man and underplaying the performance would be impressive. And there was merit to that. But people’s tastes were changing and they responded to the angry young man. When I interviewed Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of Hum, I asked him whom he credits for his angry young man image. He told me, ‘Salim-Javed for Zanjeer and Hrishikesh Mukherjee for Namak Haram,'” noted Dilip Thakur.
