'My music made Akshay Kumar a star,' claims Abhijeet Bhattacharya
Renowned playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya is also known for his daring remarks about the film and music fraternity. In a recent candid chat, the Zara Sa Jhoom Loon Main crooner said his music was meant for stars and not actors. He even claimed that Akshay Kumar, one of the leading Bollywood actors today, became a star because of his songs. Here's more.
Kumar was earlier known as 'Gareebo Ka Mithun Chakraborty': Bhattacharya
Speaking to a portal, the Chunnari Chunnari singer spoke about the early stages of Kumar's career. "My music made Akshay Kumar a star. When he was launched, he wasn't a star. He was earlier known as 'Gareebo Ka Mithun Chakraborty' like how Mithun was known as 'Gareebo Ka Amitabh Bachchan,'" he said. He pointed out music is so powerful it can turn actors into stars.
'Waada Raha Sanam' singer held 'Khiladi' made Kumar star
Bhattacharya, who voiced the legendary track, Waada Raha Sanam, for Kumar's 1992 hit movie Khiladi maintained that this movie had effectively made a star out of Kumar. He also talked about how his voice suited all, be it Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, or Suniel Shetty. "All my songs picturized on both the actors were a hit," he mentioned, referring to SRK and Shetty.
'Till I sang for SRK, he was a rock star'
The recent interview also saw Bhattacharya declaring: "I'm made to sing only for the stars, not for the actors." However, this isn't the first time the 62-year-old has made such bold claims. In 2018, the Main Agar Saamne singer had made some scathing remarks about King Khan. "Till the time I sang for Shah Rukh Khan, he was a rock star," he had noted.
He slammed reality shows for hiring inexperienced singers as judges
In 2018, Bhattacharya also attacked SRK's relatively newer songs, saying, "When I stopped singing for him, he came down to 'Lungi Dance.'" More recently, he also appeared as a guest judge on Indian Idol 12 and made headlines for volatile comments. He had slammed makers for hiring inexperienced/new singers as reality shows judges. "[They] make those people judges who haven't served music," he said.
