Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan collaborated on two films, but as their resentment grew, they went their separate ways. The two superstars had a fascinating conversation about their relationships, mistakes, and everything in between when they sat down together for a chat for 'Movie' magazine in 1990.
Amitabh Bachchan on violence on-screen
Rajesh Khanna was curious if Amitabh Bachchan's violent on-screen image crossed over into his personal life. He asked Amitabh, “There is no dividing line in my case. There’s always some hangover which you carry back home. Just as I have my affairs and women, do you carry your violence home?”
In response, Amitabh said that he is ‘terrible’ at romance and replied, “I can’t answer that question. I don’t even know whether I am doing it well on screen. All I can say is that I am given my lines and do what I have to do, after which, when its pack-up time, it’s pack up.”
Amitabh on Rajesh Khanna's roles
In light of his fading star power, Amitabh stated that his approach is more logical than Rajesh's. “Eventually, you know, we are all going to end up doing character roles whether we like it or not! It’s difficult for people in India to accept me as a leading man anymore. But Kaka has been a romantic all his life, he’s romanticising even death, so perhaps he will continue to play romantic roles and one wishes him all the best. But, the fact is that, I will not be able to,” he said in the interview.
In 2012, Rajesh Khanna passed away at the age of 69. This year, Amitabh appeared in the sci-fi movie 'Kalki 2898 AD', which was his biggest blockbuster so far.