When Salim Khan opened up on his split with Javed Akhtar; said, 'Only Amitabh Bachchan could stop it'

Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar created some of the most iconic films in Indian cinema, including 'Sholay', 'Zanjeer', 'Deewar', and 'Don'. Their writing shaped an entire generation of Hindi cinema. Despite their phenomenal success, the celebrated duo separated in 1982 and Salim Khan once opened up about the end of his legendary partnership with Javed Akhtar.

Salim Khan opens up on the Split

During an interview with NDTV in 2024, Salim Khan recalled how the separation happened without conflict or dramatic confrontation. He described the exact moment Javed Akhtar expressed his desire to go in a different direction. “Jab unhone mujhse kaha ki mei alag (films) banana chahta huun, maine kaha thik hai, koi dikkat nahi. Kisiko zabardasti rok nahi sakte. Mujhe toh abhi bhi nahi malum kyun alag hue. Ho gaya toh ho gaya.

” (“When he told me that he wanted to make different (films), I said alright, no problem. You can’t force anyone to stay. Even now, I don’t know why we separated. It happened, so it happened.”)

Respect that stayed intact

Despite the breakup Salim Khan said the two never allowed misunderstandings to turn into hostility. He explained that they never spoke ill of each other. According to him the friendship remained untouched even after their professional paths diverged.

Their shared respect lasting over the years even while the industry continued to debate the reasons behind their separation.

Why Salim Khan says only Amitabh Bachchan could have stopped it

One of the most interesting revelations in the interview was Salim Khan’s belief that Amitabh Bachchan was the only person who could have prevented the split. He imagined the advice he would have offered if he had been in Amitabh’s place. “Lekin mei agar hota unki (Amitabh Bachchan) jagah… unko (Javed Akhtar) yehi raye deta ‘Maat chodo accha khasa tumhari ek jodi hai, kaam kar raahe ho accha khasa chal raha kahe ke liye isko chodhte ho?’ Mai hota toh yeh karta.

” (“But if I were in his (Amitabh Bachchan’s) place… I would have given him (Javed Akhtar) this advice: ‘Don’t leave it. You both make a great pair, your work is going well, why give it up?’ If it were me, that’s what I would have done.”)Salim suggested that Amitabh was close to both writers during their peak years and had enough influence to possibly convince them to stay together.

How the journey began and drifted apart

The two writers first met during the shooting of 'Sarhadi Lootera'. By 1971 they decided to collaborate, as both wanted more success in their careers. What followed was a historic streak of hits that transformed the structure of mainstream Hindi films. Over the years, several theories emerged about why they parted ways. Reportedly Javed Akhtar wished to write lyrics, a move Salim did not support. Others pointed to disagreements over remuneration after Amitabh Bachchan raised his fee to Rs 25 lakh.There were also rumours about a misunderstanding at Amitabh’s Holi party. But neither writer ever confirmed any of these stories. The real reason remains a mystery even now.