Subhash Ghai made the film “Saudagar,” where he brought together two superstars of Hindi cinema, even though they were rivals. However, the filmmaker successfully cast Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar in his film, which was released in 1991.
Subhash Ghai revealed in an old interview with Nation Next, “When I completed the script of Saudagar and was about to go to Dilip Ji to narrate it, my writer told me, ‘Do you know Dilip and Raaj are enemies for the past 36 years?’ I got scared. But I thought let’s try at least. When he agreed to do the film, I told him Raaj is his co-actor and ran away from his house, without giving him a chance to react. I didn’t go to meet for the next 5-6 days.”
Later, when Ghai went to Raaj Kumar with the script and asked who would be playing the role of his friend, he told him in a mellow tone, “Since I am not able to cast any big name, I am thinking of taking Dilip Kumar.” A few moments later, to Ghai’s surprise, Raaj responded by saying, “Jaani, iss duniya mein hum apne baad kissi ko actor maante hain to vo hai Dilip Kumar. This role suits him. (Dear, if I consider someone an actor after myself, it is Dilip Kumar).”
However, when the shooting started, how did Subhash Ghai manage these actors as they were not on good terms? Speaking to News18 about their differences, the filmmaker said, “Whether it is Dilip Kumar or Raaj Kumar, or even the generation that followed, Shah Rukh Khan or Salman Khan, you have to understand that actors are like children, and the director is their mother. One child can be studious, the other can be naughty, but a mother handles each of them, doesn’t she? Directors are like mothers. Actors are insecure. They worry about whether they can deliver, if their brand will be impacted, if they should throw around attitude to compensate for these insecurities…”
He continued, “The director’s job is to smile and let the actor feel that they are the most important person in the world, as long as I get my shot. It was the same issue in Saudagar. When I found out that Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar weren’t on good terms, I used only one formula. I would tell Dilip saab that Raaj saab was praising him, and I would tell Raaj saab that Dilip saab was praising him. So, when they came together, they’d meet with positivity, and the job would get done.”