When Kader Khan talked about his fallout with Amitabh Bachchan; was asked to call Big B ‘Sir ji’

Kader Khan was well-known for his collaborations with actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Jeetendra, Anil Kapoor, and Govinda. Despite having a strong rapport with Mr Bachchan, their relationship eventually deteriorated. Khan once explained that he couldn’t bring himself to address Amitabh as ‘Sir ji,’ which led to a fallout between them.
In an old interview, Kader Khan recounted a pivotal moment that led to the deterioration of his relationship with Amitabh Bachchan. He shared that during a conversation with a producer, he was told to address Big B as ‘Sir ji.’ Kader, who had always called Amitabh by his first name, was puzzled and asked who ‘Sir ji’ was. When the producer pointed out Amitabh, Kader remarked that he was only Amit, not ‘Sir ji.’ Following this, others began calling Amitabh ‘Sir ji,’ a change that Kader felt uncomfortable with and which strained their relationship.

During the same conversation, Kader explained that as Amitabh was a close friend and a contemporary, he found it impossible to address him as ‘Sir ji.’ He felt that calling a friend or brother by a formal title was unthinkable for him, which likely led to the strain in their relationship. Kader mentioned that because of this, he was unable to maintain the same rapport with Amitabh.

Amitabh Bachchan and Kader Khan teamed up for numerous iconic films, such as Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Do Aur Do Paanch (1980), Kaalia (1981), Satte Pe Satta (1982), Coolie (1983), Shahenshah (1988), Agneepath (1990), Hum (1991), Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998), and Sooryavansham.