Prem Chopra says a man was beaten and abused by the producer every time Rajesh Khanna came late to the sets of Haathi Mere Saathi

Prem Chopra opened up about how Rajesh Khanna was always late to the sets and how the repercussions of him being late were faced by someone else.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | March 30, 2023 05:53 PM IST

2 min read

Rajesh Khanna and Tanuja in Haathi Mere Saathi. (Photo: Express Archives)

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Actor Prem Chopra has carved a niche for himself in the industry with his memorable villainous roles. The 87-year-old actor recently took a trip down memory lane and recalled working with his peers Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Jeetendra and Rakesh Roshan.

In an interview with Lehren, Prem opened up about how Rajesh was always late to the sets and how the repercussions of him being late were faced by someone else. The actor said, “Rajesh Khanna was a misunderstood man by some people but he was very genuine where the work was concerned. The only problem with him was that if there was a 9 o’clock shift, he would come at 12. So, I had some incidents. I was doing a film in Madras called Haathi Mere Saathi. The film’s producer, Chinnappa Thevar, was a very strict man. So, he would send a man to pick up Rajesh Khanna at 6’o clock.”

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Prem continued, “But even then, Rajesh Khanna would arrive on set by 11 or 12. After all, he was a very big hero. So, Thevar had appointed a man. The moment Rajesh Khanna would arrive, Thevar would beat up that man and abuse him. He would yell, ‘Don’t we give you money? Why do you come late?’ Rajesh Khanna understood what was happening. He became regular afterwards.”

Rajesh Khanna and Prem Chopra have worked together in films like Kati Patang, Prem Nagar and Doli Do Raaste among others.

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