Scandal POINT When Gulzar Was Made To Wait The Whole Night By Rajesh Khanna

Ever wondered  why  the most sensitive  poetic  romantic  filmmaker  Gulzar never worked with the most sensitive poetic romantic star Rajesh Khanna?

 Although Gulzar wrote some really sensitive dialogues and   songs  for Rajesh Khanna in the clasic Anand, the director  never directed the superstar, although he came this close  to  doing so.

So what happened? The story goes that Gulzar Saab had a perfect script which resonated well withRajesh Khanna’s romantic image. So  he called up the star’s secretary and asked  for an appointment. The  not-impolite  secretary asked Gulzar Saab to drop by at  Khanna’s iconic Aashirwaad  bungalow which was  a bigger tourist attraction in the  early 1970s that the Bachchans’ residence Jalsa.

 Gulzar Saab was told he could come “anytime”  after  10 pm, as “Saab meets  producers  only after dinner.”

By the time  Gulzar Saab reached Aashirwaad  , drinks were flowing , spirits  were high and Khanna’s famous  all-night  durbar(royal attendance) was fully on.

Gulzar Saab refused to join in the raucous merrymaking he could hear inside.  He  waited in the  outer room politely and patiently for the Man of  the  house to emerge. Hours ticked away. FinallyGulzar Saab called the Secretary wondering what happened  . The Secretary advised him to go right in  as it is unlikely that God will walk out of darshan-venue to meet  a visitor.

Sighing in  disbelief, Gulzar Saab went right in.What he saw blew his mind. Khanna was surrounded  by some of  the top directors, musicians, actors and  actresses  of the time. They were all  laughing  loudly at his  jokes, glasses were  being filled by  a number of bearers.It was  night of pleasure with no seeming  closure. It resembled  a scene  from a posh bar rather than the home of  eminent  superstar.

Since it  was impossible  for Gulzar Saab to have a conversation with the all-powerful Khanna let alone narrate  a script , he  did  the next  thing.

 Gulzar Saab fled the scene and never returned. That’s how Rajesh Khanna lost the chance to work in the  Gulzar classics. Amitabh Bachchan too never worked with  Gulzar Saab. The two were supposed to do Mausam  together and Jaya Bachchan, nee Bhaduri was  to play the female lead.Ultimately  Mausam  was made with Sanjeev Kumar and Sharmila Tagore.