‘Hum angrezo ke zamane ke jailer hai!’ This dialogue has lived rent-free in the hearts of cinephiles for decades, and now for eons ahead, it will keep late veteran star Asrani’s legacy alive. In a career spanning over decades, Asrani worked in numerous movies, delivering diverse characters and entertaining people with his screen presence. Though initially he struggled to find the right projects and connections, once his time came, he stopped at noting. Asrani always wanted to work with Hrishikesh Mukherjee, but in the beginning, he couldn’t become a part of his movies. However, later, when the two worked together in ‘Abhimaan,’ Hrishikesh Mukherji couldn’t think of anyone else but Asrani for his movies. However, did you know that Asrani was not the first choice for ‘Abhimaan’? Hrishikesh wanted Mehmood to be a part of this movie, but then Jaya Bachchan refused the idea, and film historian, author, and Asrani’s close friend, Hanif Zaveri, shared that back in those days, Amitabh Bachchan and Mehmood were not exactly seeing eye to eye. Read on to know more.
Mehmood was the first choice of ‘Abhimaan’, but it eventually went to Asrani
Hanif Zaveri, in his conversation with Vickey Lalwan, shared that when Hrishikesh Mukherjee read the script of ‘Abhimaan,’ he thought of Mehmood for a role. Since the director had already worked with Mehmood, he knew his craft and was a fan of it; he believed that the ‘Padosan’ actor would bring in a light comic relief to the serious narrative of the movie. However, the idea wasn’t approved, and some personal rifts also didn’t allow this professional collaboration to happen.“As far as I can recall, Jaya Bachchan refused the idea. And either because of what Jaya or Amitabh Bachchan said, the role that was initially meant for Mehmood went to Asrani instead. Meanwhile, Mehmood’s relationship with Amitabh had started to wither,’ said Hanif.When asked about the reason behind the rift between Amitabh Bachchan and Mehmood, Hanif said, “Well, Mehmood would often mention that Amitabh had lived in his house, and some of those remarks didn’t sit well with people.” Though Amitabh and Mehmood worked together in ‘Bombay to Goa’, “later, their relationship became more formal — just a polite ‘hi-hello,’ ” quoted Hanif Zaveri.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Asrani’s bond
Hanif further added that after working with Asrani, Hrishikesh Mukherjee “never considered Mehmood again for his films.” He continued, “He developed such a strong working relationship with Asrani that they went on to do several movies together.” From ‘Chupke Chupke’ to ‘Mili’ to several other films, Asrani and Hrishikesh’s collab translated into pure magic.
