Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer is considered a breakthrough film for Amitabh Bachchan. And now, Prakash Mehra’s son, film producer Puneet Mehra has revealed that his dad would get annoyed when someone referred to him as the Godfather of Amitabh Bachchan.
In an exclusive interview with ETimes, Puneet revealed that Prakash Mehra used to think that his association with Amitabh Bachchan was destiny. Prakash would always use to say that talent met talent and magic was created.
“If anybody would tell him that he was Amitabh Bachchan’s Godfather; he would get annoyed and say ‘main kaun hota hoon?’ He said: ‘Amitabh Bachchan has his talent and I have my talent and the rest is destiny’,” said Puneet in the interview.
On how Big B bagged the role, Puneet said, “Dharmendra was the one who had the script of Zanjeer and asked my dad to make the film. But Dharmendra was busy and wanted to do it later and my dad didn’t want a year gap in his career and requested if Dharmendra could part with the script”.
Puneet then shared that his father went to Raaj Kumar, who wanted to shoot it in Hyderabad and then to Dev Anand who wanted songs. But Prakash was determined with his vision for the movie.
“Eventually, Pran Sahab suggested to dad one day that he should see Bombay To Goa and he might get his hero of Zanjeer in that. They went to see the film together and I remember Pran Sahab telling me that my dad jumped in a certain scene – I can’t recall now which one- and screaming ‘Mil gaya’ (Found him!),” said Puneet.
Puneet also mentioned that people thought that Prakash Mehra has gone senile for casting Amitabh Bachchan.
Zanjeer released in 1973 was an action thriller film penned by Salim–Javed and directed and produced by Prakash Mehra. The film featured Jaya Bachchan, Pran, Ajit Khan and Bindu.
