Today in Bollywood Trivia, we will discuss the classic Bollywood movie 'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan'. The film was released in October 1974 and starred Manoj Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Zeenat Aman, and Moushumi Chatterjee. Manoj Kumar directed and wrote the film. This marked Amitabh's first collaboration with Prem Nath and Kuljeet; though there were scenes featuring Amitabh with them, they had no dialogues. Initially, Manoj Kumar offered the film to Sharmila Tagore, but she was dissatisfied with the role she was offered. This arose from a misunderstanding, as Manoj Kumar's assistant incorrectly described the role to Sharmila, while Manoj actually intended to offer her the role she desired.
The song 'Haye Hai Yeh Majboori' was originally intended for Moushumi Chatterjee's character. However, due to her pregnancy, the scene could not be shot with her. As a result, the song was filmed with Zeenat Aman. After watching a portion of the film, actor Prem Nath was angered as his role had been reduced. He insisted that Manoj Kumar increase his role. When Prem Nath approached Manoj again, he was informed that his role had been further cut and scenes of junior artists had been expanded to enhance the film's impact. Initially displeased, Prem Nath later praised Manoj Kumar after watching the completed film and extended his best wishes.
'Roti Kapda Aur Makaan' marked the first collaboration between Zeenat Aman and Amitabh Bachchan. However, they did not portray a couple in this film. The film also marked Veeru Devgan's debut as a stunt coordinator. During a rape scene in the film, Moushumi Chatterjee's hair was covered in a substantial amount of flour, which proved challenging to clean. Additionally, some flour entered her mouth, leading to frequent vomiting during the night. Notably, Moushumi was pregnant during the shooting of this scene.
Jaya Bachchan commented to the media that Manoj Kumar underutilized Amitabh Bachchan's potential in the film, suggesting that he should have been given more screen time. Excluding the initial three scenes, it's accurate to say that Amitabh Bachchan's character does not appear before the interval. This film stands as one of the few instances where Amitabh Bachchan portrayed a college student. Prior to this, he had taken on a similar role in the film 'Kabhi Kabhie'. Shashi Kapoor's role was initially offered to Naveen Nischal by Manoj Kumar, who declined. Naveen's refusal stemmed from his preference for solo hero roles.Manoj Kumar had initially promised Mehmood a role in the film, which did not materialize when the film was announced. Mehmood attributed this to Manoj Kumar's insecurity, suggesting that it led to his exclusion from the cast.
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