Veteran actress, Moushumi Chatterjee is known for her timeless charm and fearless candour, which makes her a much-loved personality in the industry. Throughout her decades-long acting career, the actress has worked with some of the biggest names in Hindi and Bengali cinema. In a recent conversation, Moushumi Chatterjee pulled back the curtain on the personality quirks of two of Bollywood’s biggest legends, Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna.
Moushumi Chatterjee reveals a major difference between Bachchan and Khanna
In a candid interview with Filmfare, Moushumi drew a striking comparison between Big B and Rajesh Khanna, a.k.a Kaka, sharing their contrasting temperaments behind the scenes. In a snippet from the interview that has gained much attention, the Manzil actress shared that while Amitabh Bachchan did not need assistance, nor did he have any ‘chamcha’, Kaka used to demand pampering and attention. She shared:
“Amitabh Bachchan ko maine kabhi nahi dekha chamcha chamchi ke saath (surrounded by yes men). I have never seen any buddies around him that don’t need to be, but I used to see them with Rajesh Khanna. He needed that pampering and attention.”
Having worked with both superstars in multiple films, such as Roti Kapda Aur Makaan, Benaam, Manzil with Big B and Prem Bandhan, Humshakal with Kaka, Moushumi has observed them from close quarters. She described Amitabh as calm and self-contained, exuding quiet confidence without any entourage. In contrast, Rajesh Khanna, also known as India’s first true superstar, thrived on admiration and constantly had people buzzing around him.
In the same interview, Moushumi also shared how Rajesh Khanna would mischievously teach her Hindi abuses on set, aware that, as a Bengali, she was unaware of their meanings. In a fond recollection of those times, the actress said with a chuckle:
“He (Rajesh Khanna) used to teach me abuses. He used to laugh because I used to just say it. I was innocent, I didn’t know what the meaning was.”
Moushumi Chatterjee recalled feeling ‘orphaned’ after losing her father-in-law
Moushumi, born Indira Chatterjee before getting her screen name, married at an early age to film producer, Jayanta Mukherjee, son of legendary singer and music composer, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay, popularly known as Hemant Mukherjee and Hemant Kumar. Fondly known as the ‘voice of god’, Hemant Kumar passed away in 1989 due to a massive cardiac arrest at the age of 69. Moushumi shared a deep bond with him, and his loss left a lasting impact. Recalling the void, the Roti Kapda Aur Makaan actress said:
“When Hemant Kumar died, for the first time, I felt in Bombay that I am an orphan. In any fight I used to have with my husband, he was always on my side. Even if I said I want to divorce your son and get married, he would still say that I will be with you.”
Moushumi Chatterjee’s work front
Moushumi Chatterjee recently made a comeback in Bengali cinema with Aari, after a 12-year hiatus from acting. Before this, she was seen starring in the 2013 Bengali horror comedy, Goynar Baksho, co-starring Konkona Sen Sharma.
What do you think about Moushumi Chatterjee’s recollection of Amitabh Bachchan and Rajesh Khanna’s on-set temperaments?
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