When Dilip Kumar And Amitabh Bachchan Came Together For A Film, The Name Was…

Thangappathakkam is a Tamil-language film that was released in 1974. It was directed by P Madhavan and written by Mahendran. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan, KR Vijaya, Srikanth, and Prameela in prominent roles and is based on Mahendran’s play of the same name. The film is about a disciplined superintendent of police who is dedicated to his job, whereas his son is rebellious by nature and begins to detest his father. Sivaji Ganesan reprised his role from the play.

The film was a huge success at the box office and ran for over 175 days in theatres. It also became a silver jubilee film. According to reports, the film inspired makers from other languages, and it was remade in Hindi as well. In 1983, Ramesh Sippy directed the film and titled it Shakti. It had an ensemble cast including Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee, Smita Patil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Amrish Puri, Anil Kapoor, etc.

The Hindi remake also followed a similar plot to the Tamil film. Dilip Kumar played the role of the disciplined Superintendent of Police who is dedicated to the law. Once, he had arrested an important member of a criminal gang. In return, the dreaded criminal kidnaps his son, played by Amitabh Bachchan, and urges Dilip Kumar to return his gang members. Dilip Kumar refuses to return the gangster to him and says that even if his only son is killed in the process, he will not betray the law. His son heard the conversation and distanced himself from his father. After a few years, Amitabh Bachchan became rebellious by nature and became a gangster.

The Hindi remake also became a huge hit with the audience. Both Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan were nominated for the Best Actor award, but Dilip Kumar was the final winner. Apart from this, it also won awards for Best Picture, Best Sound Design and Best Screenplay. It also became the highest-grossing film of the year and is the only film in which Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan acted together.