Rajesh Khanna was the first choice for Deewar, but Salim-Javed refused to give the script: “They just wanted…”

Amitabh Bachchan rose to superstar status after the release of Deewar. Directed by Yash Chopra, the film turned Amitabh into the iconic Angry Young Man. However, did you know that Amitabh was not Yash Chopra’s first choice for the film? In an interview in the 1990s, Rajesh Khanna revealed that Yash wanted him to star in the film. However, he claimed that Salim-Javed refused to give the script to Yash unless they brought Amitabh on board.

As quoted by Bollywood Presents and reported by Hindustan Times, Rajesh said, “Salim-Javed and I had differences. They refused to give the script to Yash Chopra because they only wanted (Amitabh) Bachchan. So even though in Yashji wanted me for Deewar, he had no choice.And overall, I guess he must have felt that maybe Amitabh fit the bill better.

Rajesh recalled seeing the rushes of the film and felt that Amitabh suited the role well. “Later, I saw just two reels of Deewar and I honestly said, ‘Wah kya baat hail (Wow)’ Honest to God. The talent was always there, whether I worked with him in Anand or Namak Haram; I want dir handi mein se agar chawal ka ek daana nikalo to pata lag jaata hai ki kya hai (if you take a grain of rice out of the pot you know if it is). done), but talent needs proper rest,” he shared .

The yesteryear superstar also admitted in the same chat that he envied Amitabh after the success of Deewar. “After Deewar I always envied him. The only thing is that he would smile every time he slipped because he made the same mistakes I did,” he admitted.

Rajesh Khanna is often hailed as the “first superstar” of Indian cinema after scoring 17 consecutive hits in the late 1960s. The record is yet to be broken by anyone in Bollywood. Rajesh and Amitabh also had a fallout after starring in Namak Haraam. The film boosted Amitabh’s popularity. Although the actors never reunited after the 1973 film, they did meet for an interview in the 1990s. Amitabh also attended Rajesh’s funeral in 2012.