‘Shah Rukh Khan’s fellow stars would call him hakla behind his back’: Abhijeet Bhattacharya 

News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 21st December 2024

It’s been 17 long years since Abhijeet Bhattacharya last sang for Shah Rukh Khan, and the veteran singer’s emotions still run deep. “I didn’t say it in anger. I never abused him, there are so many people who did, some named their dog after him, his contemporaries. Then Farah Khan’s husband (Shirish Kunder) insulted him, they all then hugged it out. My problem is that I was expressing my pain,” Abhijeet revealed on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, highlighting the hurt he felt during their public fallout.

Abhijeet Bhattacharya has provided his voice to some of Shah Rukh Khan’s most memorable songs. Some of his significant contributions include ‘Tumne Jo Maine Dekha’ from Main Hoon Na, ‘Tauba Tumhare Ishare’ from Chalte Chalte, ‘Chaand Taare’ from Yes Boss, ‘I Am The Best’ from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, and ‘Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Mein’ from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayege, among others. These songs have become part of Bollywood’s musical history, solidifying Abhijeet’s reputation as one of Shah Rukh Khan’s preferred playback singers of the 1990s.

Abhijeet said that Shah Rukh could have reached out to him, not necessarily to apologise, but to extend an olive branch. “Being a senior, age-wise, he could come and hug me, I wasn’t expecting an apology, but he could come and say, ‘chal yaar… (come on mate…)’, we’ll play together again. But people chose to (ignore me),” he said, his voice tinged with a sense of longing. Abhijeet’s association with Shah Rukh dates back to the actor’s early days, and he fondly remembers singing for him when he was young. “I sang for him when he was very young. My voice is still very young,” he said, emphasising the special bond they shared through music.

However, their personal relationship was never close, and they rarely met outside of professional commitments. “We never met too often even before. We would meet on the day of music lunch or during celebrations. Now, no, we don’t meet. We were never friends. I am a musician, I go to the studio and return home. I don’t meet people and party like filmy log,” Abhijeet explained.

Despite the distance between them, Abhijeet is eager to patch up with Shah Rukh, citing their musical chemistry as the reason. “Why wouldn’t I want to patch up? We are made for each other, our voice… We are like husband and wife. Husband and wife fight, and they’ll have to patch up, isn’t it? It is not out of obligation but it is for the good. We will create something good,” he said, his enthusiasm palpable.

When asked about his previous statement that Shah Rukh was a star only until he sang songs for him, Abhijeet clarified that he was misunderstood. “No… But you remind me any song of his from recent times which you remember. After me, Udit (Narayan) and (Kumar) Shanu sang for him new music directors made songs for him with new singers, do you have any of those at the top of your mind? The new songs are not at par with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Darr…” he said, highlighting the impact of their collaboration on Shah Rukh’s career.

Abhijeet also revealed that Shah Rukh’s contemporaries never considered him a star, often referring to him as “hakla” (stammerer) instead. He even mimicked how they would tease him about singing for Shah Rukh. “There were a few stars who told me, ‘hakle ke liye gaa raha hai na tu (You are singing for the stammerer)?’ I was like why are they feeling jealous, I got the award for my singing. After that experience I lost interest (in playback singing for the stars) and started focusing on my shows and concerts. Even today I am very happy doing that,” Abhijeet said, his voice laced with a sense of satisfaction.