This actor said Amitabh Bachchan had 'pahaadi kauwe ki awaaz', cast him as a mute character, film won 3 National Awards

Amitabh Bachchan is among the biggest superstars in the world. Big B's baritone voice is one of his striking features and is loved by his millions of fans. The superstar has narrated multiple famous fims in his baritone such as Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar, Kahaani, and Shatranj Ke Khilari among others. However, Sunil Dutt had shockingly compared Amitabh's voice to that of a crow.

In a recent interview with Lehren Retro, actor Akashdeep Sabir made this surprising revelation as he shared, "When my father (Manmohan Sabir) was making Saat Hindustani, Sunil Dutt asked for some show reels because he had heard about an interesting actor and he wanted to cast him as a second hero in Reshma Aur Shera. We went and showed Saat Hindustani to him and after the trial my father and Dutt sahab were drinking in the Ajanta lobby."

"That’s when Sunil Dutt said, 'Manmohan, this boy is intense, par yeh pahaadi kauwe ki awaaz ka kya karunga yaar. (But what do I do about his crow-like voice) Later, he signed Amitabh Bachchan for Reshma Aur Shera, where he was mute. Who does that with Amitabh Bachchan?", the Jigra actor concluded. Big B played the mute character of Chhotu in the 1971 film.

The crime drama Reshma Aur Shera was produced and directed by Sunil Dutt, who also played the titular role of Shera. Waheeda Rehman played Reshma and the other supporting roles were played by Vinod Khanna, Ranjeet, Raakhee Gulzar, KN Singh, and Amrish Puri, along with Amitabh Bachchan. Sunil Dutt's son Sanjay Dutt, who was just 12 years old at that time, also made his first film appearance as a Qawwali singer in the movie.

Though Reshma Aur Shera flopped at the box office and led to a financial loss for Sunil Dutt, the 1971 crime drama received immense critical acclaim and went on to win three National Film Awards for Best Actress to Waheeda Rehman, Best Music to Jaidev, and Best Cinematography to Ramachandra. 

The Waheeda Rehman, Sunil Dutt, and Amitabh Bachchan-starrer was also selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 44th Academy Awards, but failed to get nominated. It was also nominated for the Golden Bear or the Best Film Award at the 22nd Berlin International Film Festival.