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When we think of Amitabh Bachchan and Amjad Khan, what comes to our mind first is the opposing characters they played in several films. While the duo may have been against each other on the silver screen, the same isn’t true in real life. And this below-mentioned incident is proof of how close they were.
In a recent conversation, Amjad’s wife Shehla Khan opened up about a near-death accident she and the got into and how Sr Bachchan helped them during it. The late actor’s wife recalled when she and her husband met with an accident ahead of the shooting of The Great Gambler (1979) and needed surgery. She revealed how Big signed hospital documents in order for a tracheostomy to be performed on Amjad.
During a recent interaction with Pinkvilla, Amjad Khan’s wife Shehla Khan opened up about how Amitabh Bachchan signed the late actor’s hospital papers. She said, “A mob had gathered outside the hospital in Sawantwadi. ‘Gabbar Singh ko bahar lao (Bring Gabbar Singh outside)’ they kept saying. The doctors sent us to Panjim or else the crowd would have pulled down the hospital. He had to be operated in Goa and that’s when Amitji (Bachchan) gave his signature for the doctors to proceed with the tracheostomy (a surgical procedure to ease breathing).”
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Further talking about the nervousness Amitabh Bachchan must have felt on signing the hospital form and the bond he and Amjad Khan shared, Shehla Khan added, “Amjad and Amitji shared a close bond. Amitji must have been nervous because no one knew whether the man was going to make it or not. He was surprised when Amjad wrote down the term ‘tracheostomy’ on a piece of paper, gesturing to Amitji if he would be undergoing it. In fact, even in that condition, he spelled the complicated word correctly.” She concluded, “Soon, we chartered a flight to Mumbai. We stayed in Nanavati Hospital for three months.”
Talking about The Great Gambler, the crime-action film – directed by Shakti Samanta, starred Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh, and Prem Chopra. While Amjad Khan was initially cast as Mr Saxena, he was later replaced by Utpal Dutt as he was unable to continue due to the accident. The film was based on the Bengali novel Great Gambler by Vikramaditya.
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