“But when self-respect is hurt, you feel…”: Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya opens up about rift with SRK

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 4 (ANI): Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya, who has sung some of Shah Rukh Khan’s iconic songs, such as ‘Tauba Tumhare Ishare’ and ‘Wo Ladki Jo Sabse Alag Hai’ from Baadshah, has opened up on his strained relationship with the superstar.

The singer, who was a popular voice behind many of SRK’s hit songs in the 1990s and 2000s, said his issues with the actor began when he felt he wasn’t being credited properly for his work.

While speaking to ANI, Abhijeet explained why he stopped singing for SRK.

“When self-respect is hurt, you feel like saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ I wasn’t singing for him (Shah Rukh); I was singing for my work. But when I saw that they were acknowledging everyone–like a tea vendor who serves tea on set–but not acknowledging the singer, I felt, ‘Why should I be your voice?’,” he said.

“The worst part is that even singers who were my contemporaries, who worked on those movies, came to me later and said, ‘Dada, this is wrong.’ I told them, ‘You all should stop too; I will see what happens next.’ This didn’t happen just once; it happened in two films. I told them to go and speak to Farah (Khan) about it, to tell her, ‘We won’t sing for the film unless you give credit.’ They said, ‘You go and tell Farah.’ I said, ‘Why should I? I will directly tell SRK, “I won’t sing for you unless you acknowledge’,” he added.

Despite the rift, Abhijeet said he holds no grudges. “It’s not that my relationship with SRK is broken, but Shah Rukh is now such a huge star that he’s no longer just a human being. Even he probably doesn’t realize the level he has reached. So why should I expect anything from him? I’m still the same person I was; I am growing in my own way. I’m 5-6 years older than him. He’s over 60, and I’m also in my 60s. There was no need for anyone to apologize. Both of us have egos. Our birthdays are just a day apart; we are both Scorpios. But I’m the bigger Scorpio. I don’t need him or his support,” said the singer.

Meanwhile, just recently, British pop star Dua Lipa performed a mashup of her song with ‘Wo Ladki Jo Sabse Alag Hai’ from Baadshah during a live concert. While the performance became a trending topic in India, it drew criticism from Jay Bhattacharya, Abhijeet’s son, who slammed the singer for not giving credit to his father.

Abhijeet and Shah Rukh worked together on several iconic tracks. From Baadshah’s ‘Wo Ladki Jo Sabse Alag Hai’ to Chalte Chalte’s title track, the singer’s voice was integral to SRK’s on-screen charm during the late ’90s and early 2000s.