When Shatrughan Sinha Recalled Fallout With Amitabh Bachchan: ‘Kuch Unki Harqat... But I Feel Sorry’

The veteran actor explained that misunderstandings between them escalated over time but were eventually resolved. Looking back, he regrets how things unfolded. “Misunderstandings happen, and they sometimes grow. Then maturity sets in, and you realise it shouldn’t have happened. When it comes to Amitabh, I feel sorry, and I am sure he must have realized it too. Today, we respect each other a lot and are good friends again. He is senior to me in age but slightly junior to me in films. But we are good friends," he stated.

Sinha had previously detailed his rivalry with Bachchan in his memoir, Anything But Khamosh. He recalled that the superstar didn’t want him in some of his films due to the audience’s overwhelming response to his performances. “The problem was the applause I was getting for my performances," he had written.

Their professional tensions peaked while working on Yash Chopra’s Kaala Patthar (1979). Despite delivering hits like Dostana (1980), Shaan (1980) and Naseeb (1981), they stopped sharing screen space. Sinha revealed that he had to amicably exit multiple projects and even returned signing amounts for some. “A lot of films were being made, but I had to leave some of them. I also returned the signing amount," he said.

In his memoir, Sinha recalled how Amitabh’s exclusivity extended beyond film sets. “The chair next to Amitabh wouldn’t be offered to me, nor would his umbrella ever cover any of us. We’d be heading to the same hotel from the location, but he’d sit in his car and never say, ‘Let’s go together.’ I found it strange because I never had any complaints against him."