He might be a star in his own right, but Akshay Kumar still needs the legendary Gabbar Singh to promote his new film. Akshay’s upcoming release not only borrows the infamous dacoit’s name and look, but also uses a background score similar to the one used for Gabbar in Sholay (1975). But no matter how hard Akshay and the makers of Gabbar try, there is and will be only one Gabbar.
We know what made Amjad Khan’s portrayal of Gabbar Singh immortal on-screen, take a look at some of the lesser known facts about Gabbar’s behind-the-scenes journey.
1. Amjad Khan Not the First Choice for Gabbar
Well we can’t imagine anyone else other than Amjad Khan play Gabbar, but Danny Denzongpa was initially offered the role. The actor had to give it a pass as he was busy shooting in Afghanistan for Dharmatma (1975). And guess who else wanted to step into Gabbar’s shoes? Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar!
2. Amjad Khan’s Voice was a Problem
Amjad Khan finally got Gabbar’s role after much struggle, but his problems didn’t end there. Now it was his voice that was in question. Amjad’s voice was nearly dubbed, as there were whispers of it not being strong enough for a villain. It came to a point where Amjad was almost dropped from the project because of his voice.
3. Gabbar Became the ‘Hero’ of theFilm
Gabbar’s dialogues had become so famous that one of his dialogues “Arre o Sambha...” caught the fancy of not just moviegoers, but also producers. So much so that a producer promptly announced a movie titled Sambha.
4. “Kitne Retakes Thhe?”
Amjad Khan’s first shot during the shoot was his introduction scene. And his first lines were the very famous “Kitne Aadmi The?” & believe it or not the actor gave 40 retakes till the director okayed it. And it took 17 days to complete Amjad Khan’s death sequence.
5. Gabbar’s Fashion Statement
We can’t imagine Gabbar without his grubby khaki uniform and that belt. Well the credit goes to - no, not any stylist but Amjad Khan himself. The actor bought his army fatigue from Mumbai’s Chor Bazaar.
6. ‘Gabbar’ Also Eats Biscuits
The Gabbar Singh character was so famous that Britannia made a commercial with Amjad Khan eating their Glucose Biscuits. This was the first time that a villain was used to endorse a product. The advertisement was an instant hit with children and the sales of the biscuits reportedly doubled!
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