Rekha's 'Cursed' Film Became a Superhit but Ruined the Friendship Between Dharmendra and Amitabh Bachchan

The film 'Ram Balram' not only achieved box office success but also ended the friendship between Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. This film sparked several controversies that continue to be a topic of discussion today.

In the 70s and 80s, Vijay Anand, brother of Dev Anand, got the opportunity to direct two superstar actors, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra. The film was titled 'Ram Balram', and it took a lot of effort from Vijay Anand to complete it. The project began in 1975 and was finally released in 1980 after four long years. This was the only film where Rekha and Zeenat Aman worked together. However, the film proved to be so 'cursed' that it led to a rift between Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra's friendship. Additionally, it also strained Amitabh's relationship with Yash Chopra.

'Ram Balram' featured Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Rekha, and Zeenat Aman in lead roles, along with Ajit, Prem Chopra, Helen, and Amjad Khan in significant supporting roles. The film was directed and edited by Vijay Anand, who also wrote the story. The screenplay was co-written by Kamleshwar and Vijay Anand, while Kamleshwar penned the dialogues. The producer was Tito. This marked the third and final collaboration between Amitabh and Dharmendra.

The music for the film was composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, with lyrics by Anand Bakshi. The soundtrack became a massive hit, featuring popular songs like ‘Humse Bhool Ho Gayi’. Vijay Anand created this film after returning from Rajneesh's ashram, and producer Tito signed Dharmendra and Amitabh for 'Ram Balram'.

The full name of producer Tito was Kushal Deep Singh Juneja. For this film, Dharmendra received a higher fee than Amitabh, earning 6 lakh rupees compared to Amitabh's 4 lakh rupees. Despite the higher pay, Dharmendra showed little interest in the film, which caused continuous delays.

During this time, producer Tito signed Amitabh Bachchan for another film, 'Mr. Natwarlal'. When Dharmendra learned of this, he began to feel insecure and hesitated to give dates. He worked mechanically, lacking emotion, and started to mimic Amitabh's acting style.

Vijay Anand noticed that Dharmendra was not focused on his performance, while Amitabh came prepared with dialogues and scenes from home. He quickly understood the scenes, unlike Dharmendra. During dubbing, Dharmendra also displayed attitude issues. Despite multiple attempts by Goldie to explain, Dharmendra stopped dubbing in his presence. It took over four years to complete 'Ram Balram', which finally released on November 28, 1980. The film performed remarkably well at the box office, becoming the third major hit of that year, but it permanently created a rift between Amitabh and Dharmendra, who never worked together again.

Moreover, this film also damaged Amitabh Bachchan's friendship with Yash Chopra. During the making of this film, Amitabh was also working on 'Mr. Natwarlal' and 'Silsila'. 'Mr. Natwarlal' was directed by Rakesh Kumar, who had also written the screenplay and became a close friend of Amitabh. Amitabh was also the distributor for 'Mr. Natwarlal' in Mumbai, which led him to miss the timely dubbing of Yash Chopra's film 'Silsila'. When Yash Chopra found out, he was upset, and 'Silsila' did not perform well at the box office. This incident further strained the relationship between Yash Chopra and Amitabh Bachchan.

What this means for you
Across India: The success of this film caused a rift between Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra, affecting their fans and the industry.

In [city/state]: The controversies surrounding the film highlighted the importance of relationships in Bollywood, becoming a topic of discussion among local audiences.

Questions & Answers

1. When was the film 'Ram Balram' released?
The film 'Ram Balram' was released on November 28, 1980.

2. Why did Rekha and Zeenat Aman work together in this film?
This was the only film where Rekha and Zeenat Aman worked together.

3. How much fee did Dharmendra receive for the film?
Dharmendra received a fee of 6 lakh rupees for this film.

4. How did this film impact the friendship between Amitabh and Dharmendra?
This film created a rift in the friendship between Amitabh and Dharmendra, leading them to never work together again.

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