When Sunil Dutt Rejected Amitabh Bachchan for Reshma Aur Shera What Will I Do with a Voice Like a Mountain Crow

Amitabh Bachchan one of the greatest legends of Indian cinema was once rejected for a film due to his deep baritone voice The rejection came from none other than veteran actor and filmmaker Sunil Dutt who turned him down for the 1971 film Reshma Aur Shera

Sunil Dutts Harsh Rejection

At the beginning of his career Amitabh Bachchan struggled to find work in Bollywood His towering height lean physique and most notably his deep and heavy voice were seen as obstacles rather than assets When he approached Sunil Dutt for a role in Reshma Aur Shera the filmmaker reportedly rejected him outright saying

Your voice sounds like a mountain crow What will I do with such a voice

At that time Bollywood heroes were expected to have softer more romantic voices and Amitabhs deep resonant tone was considered unsuitable for mainstream cinema

From Rejection to Superstardom

Despite facing multiple rejections Amitabh Bachchan did not lose hope He made his debut in 1969 with Saat Hindustani and later got a breakthrough role in Anand 1971 where he starred alongside Rajesh Khanna However it was Prakash Mehras 1973 blockbuster Zanjeer that changed his life transforming him into Bollywoods Angry Young Man

Ironically the very voice that was once considered a drawback became one of Amitabh Bachchans biggest strengths His deep baritone later became iconic making him the preferred voice for narration advertisements and even the legendary Kaun Banega Crorepati KBC

Sunil Dutt Later Recognized His Talent

Sunil Dutt who once rejected Amitabh later acknowledged his mistake and admired Bachchans immense talent They even worked together in several films including Paapi 1977 Shaan 1980 and Rajput 1982

A Lesson in Perseverance

Amitabh Bachchans journey is a perfect example of never giving up despite failures From being rejected for his voice to becoming the most celebrated voice in Indian cinema his story continues to inspire millions

Today his name is synonymous with Bollywood and his voice which was once considered a weakness is now one of the most recognizable and respected voices in Indian entertainment history