MUMBAI: Danny Denzongpa ruled the screens during the 80’s and 90’s. The actor was brilliant in playing mostly negative roles and had some memorable characters in films like Ghatak, Hum, Agneepath and many more. The veteran now reveals the reason why he refused several films opposite Amitabh Bachchan.
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Danny said in an old interview in 2018, that he thought he was in the same frame as Amitabh Bachchan, no one would notice him. Danny thus said he refused films opposite Big B including Mard and Coolie offered to him by producer Manmohan Desai.
Danny and Amitabh starred together for the first time in the 1990 film Agneepath. They later worked in films like Hum (1991), Khuda Gawah (1992), Kohram (1999), Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo (2004), and Uunchai (2022).
In an interview with Filmfare, Danny said, “I kept holding myself back from working with Amitji. I thought here’s this huge actor, who gets the best roles. No one would notice me if I was in the same frame with him. If the film were a hit, all credit would go to him. But if it flopped then the ‘new’ guy would be blamed. I kept refusing even Manji (the late director Manmohan Desai) who offered me four films with Amitji including Mard and Coolie.”
He further added, “Once I was at Film City where Manji was also shooting. He went on his knees and teased me in front of everyone, ‘Sir, please do a film for me’. I replied, ‘Sochenge (I will think about it)!’ I’d tell Manji you’re dragging the industry back by 20 years (hinting at Desai’s fantastical cinema). You give one super-hit and 10 other guys follow you’. Manji would give me the choicest gaalis (abuses). But main seedha aadmi hoon (I am a straightforward person), I speak the truth no matter how bitter!”
Danny was last seen in Sooraj Bharjatya’s Uunchai which also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani, Parineeti Chopra, Neena Gupta, and Sarika.
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Credit-hindustantimes
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