It’s always fascinating to learn about the olden days of Bollywood, how the movies were made, and what happens on sets. Recently, an old incident about Jaya Bachchan taking a stand for Amitabh Bachchan has been doing the rounds. The incident dates back to the release of the Manoj Kumar directorial Roti Kapda Aur Makaan in 1974. Jaya Bachchan blasted Manoj Kumar for casting Amitabh Bachchan in a supporting role.
Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan, who married on June 3, 1973, celebrated their 51st anniversary yesterday. Although they frequently exchange words of great respect and affection, Jaya—renowned for being outspoken—has fought for her husband in front of celebrities like Rajesh Khanna and Manoj Kumar.
Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, starring Manoj, debuted in theaters in 1974. Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, and Shashi Kapoor also played key roles in the movie. Despite experiencing several failures at the beginning of his career, Amitabh had already scored a hit with Zanjeer (1973). He was well on his way to becoming the titan whose fame would last for decades and even generations. Despite this, Amitabh received comparatively less screen time than Manoj, who portrayed Bharat, and the former, who played the role of his brother Vijay.
Jaya Bachchan, who had only married Amitabh Bachchan a year prior, voiced her displeasure with her husband’s screen time in the Manoj Kumar-directed movie. Manoj was also the writer and producer of the action drama.
Amitabh was yet to have his breakthrough hit, even after making his feature debut in 1969’s Saat Hindustani. Five years later, Manoj asked the actor to be in his film Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, where he would play a key role. But rather than being the central star, he was cast as a supporting actor opposite Madan, Dheeraj Kumar, and Premnath.
Jaya Bachchan didn’t take this well. According to an IMDb report, the actress stated in a media interview that Manoj Kumar squandered Amitabh Bachchan’s talent for the movie. She claimed that Manoj purposefully reduced Amitabh’s screen time.
The film was one of the top-grossing films of the year. It is recognized as one of Manoj Kumar’s biggest box office hits. On a Rs 1.28 crore budget, Roti Kapda Aur Makaan reportedly brought in Rs 7.50 core at the box office.
Much earlier than this, in 1972, Jaya stood up to Rajesh Khanna on behalf of her then-boyfriend Amitabh Bachchan. Rajesh allegedly reprimanded Amitabh for visiting the sets of Bawarchi to meet his co-star.
Rajesh, the biggest star then, thought Big B had no chance of success since Amitabh’s movies failed to make money. In addition, he asked Jaya to avoid him. Jaya had responded angrily, saying Amitabh would eventually take over the business. The phrases were fictitious. Amitabh Bachchan, as we know it, is one of the biggest stars of the time.
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