Explore insights into Subhash Ghai’s cinematic masterpiece, ‘Saudagar’. Delve into behind-the-scenes stories, and cast dynamics. Dilip Kumar and Rajkumar had come together on screen in just one film, Paigam. In this film Rajkumar had played the role of Dilip Kumar’s elder brother and the two had a major disparity. Dilip Kumar had given his best performance, as always, but the media portrayed the newcomer Rajkumar as a better actor in the film. After the success of this film Rajkumar also became a big star like Dilip Kumar but after this film, the Two stalwarts had not come on the screen together again.
Reason was due to ego clash. While Dilip Kumar during those days was considered to be a
superstar, Rajkumar was no less, and he went on to become the star of the stars. Therefore, every filmmaker or director wanted to cast both these actors in their film, but they could not convince them. Actually many filmmakers wanted to films with Dilip Kumar and Rajkumar but it was not feasible due to their differences; however Subhash Ghai the film director, producer took a big decision to cast them together and had managed to convince them to be a part of the film Saudagar.
How did Subhash Ghai got them to act in his film.
The script of the film was made keeping the two actors in mind with their personality but to persuade them it was one her culean task and he was in a dilemma How to?
But he was adamant that Saudagar will only have Dilip Kumar and Rajkumar
in the pivotal roles and no other actor. How did he fulfil his desire and how did this
miracle happen that these two great actors who were not ready to act together
in a film had agreed to act in Subhash Ghai’s film?
Subhash Ghai had already cast Dilip Kumar in two of his earlier films, Vidhata and Karma; hence he had good relations with him and he had full faith that Dilip Kumar would not
refuse him and when he narrated the script to Dilip Kumar, the latter
immediately agreed to do the film.
Subhash Ghai’s Tactful Move
Now the next step was to go to Raj Kumar’s house , but it wasn’t so difficult as when he heard the script he had agreed immediately but wanted to know who was going to do the other protagonist’s role as his friend? Subhash Ghai tactfully handled this question and told him how he looked up to him as one of the greatest actor in Hindi Cinema but other than him, there was just one more actor who could star parallel to him? It was none other than Dilip Kumar who, like He is a great actor and would fit in the role most convincingly opposite him.
Rajkumar also agreed that there was no other great actor whom he would have a
competition with and he was apt for the role and asked Subhash Ghai to sign
Dilip Kumar and that he would do the film along with him.
In this way Subhash Ghai had handled this desire of casting both very diplomatically, praising the actors individually and the actors surpassed in their roles as two best friends in the film who latter become enemies and at the end reestablished their eternal friendship on screen and it went on to become a box office super hit.
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