Veteran actor Raj Babbar, who has appeared in films like Insaaf Ka Taraazu, Nikaah, recently recalled in an interview that he came to Mumbai with Rs 100 in his pocket and a promise from filmmaker Prakash Mehra to be cast in his big-budget film Namak Halaal. The Amitabh Bachchan starrer was supposed to star Vinod Khanna but since Khanna had announced his retirement from the movies, Mehra roped in Babbar. But things didn’t go as planned.
In a chat with Rajshri Unplugged, the actor recalled that even after Mehra cast him for the film in Delhi, he was “more scared and less happy” because of an earlier incident. He was on the verge of being cast in a Dilip Kumar film but at the last minute, it did not work out. When Mehra told him he was cast, Babbar requested that since he was already cast, he would be grateful if they also gave him a place to stay for one year. “They sent me a flight ticket and I came to Mumbai,” he shared.
Prakash Mehra was one of the most popular directors of the time who had made hits like Zanjeer, Hera Pheri, Muqaddar ka Sikander, Laawaris, among many others. Many of his hits starred Amitabh Bachchan in the lead role.
“I had a scooter and I sold it. I gave the money to my wife as my daughter had just been born. I told her that I am going for one year,” Babbar recalled and added “I came to the city with Rs 100 in my pocket.” But just when he thought that everything was working out, he got fired from Namak Halaal. “Then I was fired from Namak Halaal. Because a lot of people did not want to work with me. And I said, ‘Prakash ji, you promised me, you have to let me stay here for one year’,” he recalled, and Mehra agreed.
It was probably this role that was ultimately played by Shashi Kapoor. Namak Halaal also starred Smita Patil, Parveen Babi and Waheeda Rehman.
