Although playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya never lent his voice to Shah Rukh Khan after Billu (2009), it’s undeniable that some of their most celebrated songs occurred when the two joined forces. From “Badi Mushkil Hai” in Anjaam, “Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Mein” in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, and “Main Koi Aisa Geet” in Yes Boss to the title track in Baadshah, “Tumhe Jo Maine Dekha” in Main Hoon Na, and “Dhoom Taana” in Om Shanti Om, the duo’s musical partnership has been truly iconic.
Meanwhile, Bhattacharya recently opened up about Bollywood’s Baadshah and noted that their personalities are not much different. Heaping praise on SRK, the singer described him as a self-made man with self-respect and self-esteem, qualities that Bhattacharya recognises in himself as well. “We don’t have ego, but we have self-respect,” he said during a chat with Lehren Retro.
Mentioning that, though he tried to resolve the personal differences between them a couple of times, the singer noted that his efforts went in vain. He also added that SRK is a very commercial person who will use others and remove anyone from his path to success.
“However, labelling him as anti-national is very wrong. Many have attempted to do so, but there is no bigger nationalist than Shah Rukh Khan. Consider the films he has made — Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Swades, Asoka et al. How can such allegations be made against him, especially when he has always promoted Hindu culture in his movies” Bhattacharya wondered. “Among the Khans, Shah Rukh Khan is the only nationalist. Others don’t really have anything to do with the nation,” he asserted.
However, in 2016, he had lashed out at SRK, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Karan Johar, among others, for employing Pakistani artistes in their films after the Uri terrorist attack. Abhijeet, through a series of tweets, criticised Karan, the Bhatts and the superstar Khans for providing opportunities to Pakistani artistes such as Fawad Khan, Mawra Hocane, Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Ghulam Ali. Taking it a step further, he insisted that these ‘anti-national’ filmmakers should be taught a lesson.
