Fifteen years after Ajmad Khan's death, Amitabh remembers his friend

Amitabh, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar (with his arms intact) and Amjad Khan on location for the shooting of (what else?!) Sholay

It was in one of Screen's (the entertainment weekly) 2007 issue, that we were witness to Amitabh Bachchan remembering his dear friend Amjad Khan on his 15th death anniversary. 

On the sets of Manmohan Desai's Parvarish, Shammi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Kader Khan, Amjad and Amitabh discovered that they were all Librans. So they made up a song set to the tune of a World War II British battle song that went – we are the crazy Librans @#$%$# up the film. The song was sung whenever the actors found themselves in a tough situation during the shoot.

Amitabh goes on to say: “In 1982, I had my accident on the sets of Coolie. Coming out of the ICU after two months, one of the first to meet me in hospital was Amjad. As he walked into the room at Breach Candy Hospital, he burst into 'we are crazy Librans'. It was perhaps the first time the nurses saw a smile on my face.”

After Sholay, Amitabh worked in several films with Amjad. Amjad mostly played the villian in these films,with some exceptions like Yarana - where he essayed the role of  the hero's close friend.

In reel life, Amjad and Sanjeev were not exactly on intimate terms with each other...Thakur before life changes for him, courtesy Gabbar..

Sholay Fan Club: Amitabh-Jaya marraige photo

The couple married in 1973 after which Jaya stopped doing films altogether. Another gifted actress was thus lost to matrimony. Jaya has been occasionally acting, noticeable lately in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Kal ho na ho (2003).

Sholay Producer G P Sippy Passes Away

Ramesh Sippy and actor Dilip Kumar with GP Sippy in 2003, celebrating his 90th birthday

Gopaldas Parmanand Sippy, producer of Sholay and the father of Ramesh Sippy died on 25 December 2007. He was 93 years old. Before his son made history with Sholay, Ramesh had also directed Andaz (1971) and Seeta Aur Geeta (1972) under the Sippy banner.

GP Sippy's last film as producer was the unsuccessful Kajol-Saif Ali Khan starrer Hamesha (1997). Of course, Mr Sippy will always be remembered for taking a huge financial risk with Sholay. We are glad he took the risk...