Baghban, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini, remains one of the most popular films of its time, primarily due to its emotional storyline. However, not many know that not Amitabh Bachchan but the late legendary actor Dilip Kumar was originally considered for the lead role.
In an interview, the film’s director, Ravi Chopra, revealed that his father, renowned filmmaker BR Chopra, had initially planned to cast Dilip Kumar in the role that Amitabh Bachchan eventually played. Dilip Kumar, however, declined the offer, stating that none of the actresses considered for the female lead seemed suitable to play his wife in the film.
Ravi Chopra who is no more in this world said in an interview that for the shooting of his debut film Zameer, which starred Amitabh Bachchan and Saira Banu, Dilip Kumar had loaned his garden for one of the sequences. Ravi said, “During the shooting, Dad and Dilip uncle were sitting and chatting. That’s when he narrated the script to Dilip uncle, who loved it. But Dad was busy with other films and Dilip uncle wanted to start another film first.”
The co-writer of the movie, Achala Nagar said in the interview, “When BR Chopra approached Kumar for the role, he had said that neither Nargis, nor Meena Kumari was alive… even Raakhee had stopped working in films. He rejected the role because he believed that no contemporary actress was suitable to play the role opposite him.”
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