Abhijeet Bhattacharya Opens Up About Shah Rukh Khan, RD Burman, Abu Salem, and Salman Khan

Renowned playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, celebrated for iconic tracks like Badshah o Badshah, Tauba Tumhare Ishare and Tumhe Jo Maine Dekha, recently shed light on his complex relationships with Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan and RD Burman, as well as his terrifying encounter with gangster Abu Salem. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast recently, the singer reflected on his personal and professional journey, filled with both accolades and controversies.

After the podcast went viral, his comments on the professional triumphs, misunderstandings, and personal resilience which offered a compelling narrative of his life and legacy in the music industry, are being discussed on social media widely.

On Shah Rukh Khan: A Strained Yet Iconic Partnership

Abhijeet expressed a sense of nostalgia and longing regarding his estranged relationship with Shah Rukh Khan, describing their collaboration as akin to a marriage. “We are made for each other, our voice… We are like husband and wife. Husband and wife fight, and they’ll have to patch up, isn’t it?” he remarked. While acknowledging their past successes with unforgettable hits like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Darr, he questioned the lasting impact of Shah Rukh’s recent songs.

“After me, Udit Narayan and Kumar Sanu sang for him. But do you remember any of those songs as vividly?” he asked. Despite their fallout, Abhijeet denied harbouring anger, stating, “I never abused him. There were others who did, including contemporaries who insulted him in various ways. I was simply expressing my pain.”

He shared that he had distanced himself from playback singing after being ridiculed by certain stars who demeaned his association with Shah Rukh. “Some stars said to me, ‘Hakle ke liye gaa raha hai na tu? (You’re singing for the stammerer?)’ That experience disheartened me,” he admitted. Despite their differences, Abhijeet left the door open for reconciliation, saying, “Being senior to me, he could come and say, ‘Chal yaar… we’ll play together again.’”

On RD Burman: A Relationship Marred by Misunderstandings

Abhijeet’s bond with legendary music director RD Burman was another significant chapter in his career. “People were troubled by his closeness to me,” he revealed, explaining how rumours created misunderstandings between them. “They spread lies that I sang for his rivals or helped them imitate his work.” These falsehoods impacted their relationship, but Abhijeet fondly remembered RD Burman’s kindness.

“He once made a drink for me to celebrate my success,” he reminisced. However, as RD Burman faced a career slump, the dynamic changed. “I visited him a couple of times, but he seemed disheartened. He told me, ‘I am jobless right now,’” Abhijeet shared. Despite the challenges, he cherished those moments of connection, saying, “Spending even fifteen minutes with him made me feel nice.”

On Salman Khan: A Relationship Best Left Untouched

Abhijeet was notably dismissive when discussing Salman Khan, choosing to keep his remarks brief. “Salman doesn’t come to the point where I can talk about him,” he said, adding, “Baaki inke baare mein aap mujhse baat mat karo (Don’t discuss him with me).”

The singer recounted a past incident where he was unwittingly involved in recording a song for Salman. “I didn’t even know it was for him,” he claimed, emphasising his disinterest in elaborating further.

When asked more about his relationship with the Dabang actor and the comments he had made in the past, the singer said: “I had said that people sleep on the road. Before that also we saw the news, a truck ran over four people. This is happening every day. People are sleeping on the road, not even on the footpath. I had said that whatever happens…if you sleep on the road, a drunkard will come and drive a car over you. You are sleeping on the road like a dog…. then a drunkard will come, or a womaniser…”

On His Encounter with Abu Salem: A Brush with Fear

In a startling revelation, Abhijeet recalled receiving a threat call from notorious gangster Abu Salem in 2000. Salem demanded a hefty sum of Rs 60 lakh or insisted that Abhijeet sing for him. “I was very scared because he had killed 2-3 people back to back at that time,” the singer confessed. Salem’s demands extended beyond money—he also asked for the contact details of other singers like Kumar Sanu and coerced Abhijeet into performing over the phone for his guests.

Describing the ordeal, Abhijeet recounted, “In a moment of fear, I rushed to the bathroom and started singing. My wife, unaware of the situation, thought I was serenading another woman and got angry.”