The Hindi Drama film directed by HrishikeshMukherjee, named Namaak Haram released in 1973, is yet another film with
Amitabh Bachchan. The music for this
film is by R D Burman, screenplay is by Gulzar, and lyrics is by Anand Bakshi.
The film besides Amitabh Bachchan in the pivotal role also has super star
Rajesh Khanna, Rekha, Asrani, Raza Murad, A K Hangal, Simi Garewal, Om Shivpuri
to name a few.
Rajesh Khanna had received his third BFJA
Award for the Best Actor in 1974 for this film while Amitabh Bachchan had
received his second Filmfare Award for the best supporting actor for this film.
After the success of his film Anand with Rajesh
Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, this was the second film when the two stalwarts
came together. The songs in the film were very popular especially ‘Diye Jalte
hai, Nadiya Se Dariya and Main Shayar Badnaam.. were very melodious and
remembered till date. All songs rendered
by playbacksinger actor Kishore Kumar and were picturized mainly on Rajesh
Khanna. The film was a super hit and was
the 5thighest grossing films of 1973.
The plot of this film revolves around two
friends Somu (Rajesh Khanna) and Vicky (Amitabh Bachchan). Vicky is insulted by the union leader of the
factory he is working and Somu intrudes as a worker and later joins as the
union leader of the same factory which leads to controversies between the two
friends. The film was based on the rise of the unions in the backdrop of
Bombay’s textile mills and the inflation of the early 70’s.
The ending of the film was changed by Rajesh Khanna as the script had Amitabh Bachchan dying in the last scene which was changed to Rajesh Khanna who dies instead. According to Khanna he believed a death of an actor in the film gains sympathy from the audience . Due to these changes, Amitabh Bachchan was said to have been upset over the last minute script changes . Here we end another interesting episode on Amitabh Bachchan’s film Namak Haraam.
