The iconic song “Bane chaahe dushman, Zamana hamara, Salamat rahe dostana hamara” from ‘Dostana’ immortalized the friendship between Shatrughan Sinha and Amitabh Bachchan on celluloid. However, their differences and fallout were headline news in the 70s and 80s. Despite their rocky friendship during those decades, Shatrughan and Amitabh are now ‘good friends.’ In the early 90s, the actor-turned-politician’s friendship with the late Rajesh Khanna also faced ups and downs, resulting in irreparable differences.
In a candid interview with Zoom TV, the veteran actor opened up about his past conflict with the legendary actor, Rajesh, revealing a political rivalry that strained their friendship. Shatrughan expressed regret over contesting against Rajesh in a 1992 by-election, a decision that caused a rift between them. Representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shatrughan found himself on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Rajesh, who represented the Congress party, turning the election into a high-profile clash.
“We fought against each other in the Delhi election,” Shatrughan recalled, adding, “He thought, ‘Mere khilaaf tum kaise khade ho gaye (How could you contest against me?).” The actor clarified that he wasn’t personally challenging Khanna but following his party’s decision. He even tried to explain this to Rajesh, but it wasn’t well-received. “I said, ‘I am not contesting against you. It’s the political party that decides who contests from where’,” he reminisced during the interview.
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“Rajesh was very upset when I contested against him in a by-election. Honestly, I didn’t want to, but couldn’t refuse LK Advani ji. I tried explaining this to Rajesh but he did not like it; we didn’t speak for quite a long time. However, we did start talking after many years.”
The election further strained their relationship, leading to a period of silence. Although Shatryghan attempted to mend bridges years later, ultimately he never got the chance to fully reconcile with Rajesh. “I wanted to go and apologize to him when he was in the hospital,” laments the ‘Gola Barood’ actor, adding “But sadly, he passed away before I could do that.”
Shatrughan and Rajesh shared the screen in numerous films, such as Muqabla (1979), ‘Dushman Dost and Naseeb’ (1981), ‘Dil-e-Nadaan’ (1982), ‘Maqsad’ (1984), and ‘Aaj Kaa MLA Ram Avtar’ (1984).
While Shatrughan achieved electoral success in his political career, the fallout with Khanna remained a source of regret. He acknowledged their close friendship before the political clash and expressed sadness at the missed opportunity for reconciliation. He continued, “We were close friends, but after the election, he cut off ties with me. Despite my efforts to reconcile, it took a few years before I apologized to him. During a hospitalisation a few years later, both of us were admitted. I frequently mentioned to my daughter Sonakshi that once I was discharged, I would go directly to meet him. Even the doctors treating me there knew how much I missed him. Unfortunately, I couldn’t meet him and offer an apology. Sonakshi informed me that Rajesh Khanna uncle had passed away. However, I had already extended my apologies to him well before his demise. When I lost my first election, I thought to myself, ‘Main sirf chunao hi nahin hara, maine dost ko bhi hara hai.” Sinha said after that he never contested an election against his friends.
After suffering from a liver ailment, Rajesh Khanna breathed his last in 2012. After four decades, Shatrughan, a member of the Parliament, left the BJP and joined Congress, in 2019.
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