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.
According to a report by Indian Express, Abhijeet Bhattacharya has lent his voice to some of Shah Rukh Khan’s most iconic songs. Some of his notable 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, ‘Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Mein’ from Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayege and many more.
View this post on Instagram
These songs have become an integral part of Bollywood’s musical heritage, cementing Abhijeet’s status as one of Shah Rukh Khan’s go-to playback singers during the 1990s. Abhijeet said that Shah Rukh could have reached out to him, not necessarily to apologise, but to extend an olive branch.
View this post on Instagram
“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.
