Kader Khan, who moved to India at the age of one from Afghanistan with his parents, found great heights in the world of cinema. He became an overnight sensation after legendary actor Dilip Kumar noticed his theatrical talent. Impressed by his performance in a play, Dilip Kumar cast him in two of his films, which launched Kader’s career in Hindi cinema. He quickly gained recognition both as a versatile actor and a prolific screenwriter. Kader, marked his industry debut in 1970 and soon developed a strong professional bond with Amitabh Bachchan who was just on his way to become the biggest star. The two collaborated on numerous films, with Kader contributing as both a writer and co-actor. From Benaam (1974) to Hum (1991), their association spanned nearly two decades—until a change in Amitabh Bachchan’s demeanour caused a rift between them. Kader Khan, who would have turned 88 today, once shared the incident in an old interview.
Film star Amitabh Bachchan, Kader Khan, Jackie Shroff and Anu Agarwal. Express archive photo
Speaking with journalist Prashant Angre on Samay TV’s show Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya, Kader Khan reminisced about their camaraderie and how it eventually ended. He began by praising Amitabh Bachchan, saying, “Amitabh Bachchan copied everything from Dilip Kumar, but he also had a great height and a powerful voice. It was his voice that elevated him—but he belongs to the school of Dilip Kumar.”
Kader then spoke candidly about the moment when their relationship began to change.
“After Indira Gandhi’s death, her son Rajiv Gandhi invited Amitabh to join politics. He accepted, contested elections, and became a Member of Parliament. That created a lot of buzz. However, when he returned to the film industry with the ‘MP’ tag, his behaviour had changed.”
Recalling a pivotal incident, Kader shared: “One day, a producer asked me, ‘Did you meet sir?’ I was confused and asked, ‘Who sir?’ He replied, shocked, ‘Your friend, Amitabh Bachchan.’ I said, ‘Why would I call him sir? I have always addressed him as Amit.’ The producer was visibly stunned and gestured to me, ‘Please, don’t ever call him by name—call him sir.’”
Film star Kader Khan and Asrani in film DIYA AUR TOOFAN. Express archive photo
Kader smiled as he said, “After that incident, our paths diverged. He became ‘Sir ji’, and I remained ‘Kader ji’. My heart couldn’t allow me to suddenly start calling a friend ‘sir’. That man simply began avoiding me because I wouldn’t use that title. It hurt me deeply because I had even left other film projects just because he wanted me to work on his. His changed behaviour didn’t sit well with me, and our bond ended there.”
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Throughout their time together, Kader Khan had penned the scripts for many of Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic films, including Benaam (1974), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Parvarish (1977), Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), and Naseeb (1981), among others.
