Amitabh Bachchan fondly remembers late Balraj Sahni; says, “Every part he played is memorable for its understated brilliance” – Exclusive |

The Indian cinematic canvas is painted with hues of versatility, diverse performances, and sheer talent. There are artists whose mere presence redefined the norms of acting, and the late Bajraj Sahni is undoubtedly one of them.
A pioneer of realism and subtlety in acting, Bajraj Sahni’s legacy inspires generations of performers. In an exclusive conversation, legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan reflects on the unparalleled contribution of Balraj Sahni to Indian cinema.
“One doesn’t ‘rate’ artists like Balraj Sahni, Lata Mangeshkar, Dilip Kumar, Bhimsen Joshi, Ravi Shankar, Laurence Olivier, and Rabindranath Tagore. They are what they are—the architects of civilization,” said Amitabh Bachchan.
“I believe that Balraj-ji ushered in the culture of natural acting in our cinema. You see, he didn’t give performances. He was just there. One didn’t see his presence as much as felt it,” added Big B.
Showering words of praise while recalling the late star, Amitabh Bachchan shared, “Every part he played is memorable for its understated brilliance. But if you insist on picking one, it would be M.S. Sathyu’s ‘Garam Hawa. That is a performance which stands tall in our cinema. It defines that rare moment when our quest for perfection reaches fruition.”
He continued, “Balraj Sahni spent months and months preparing for the part of the Muslim patriarch. Since he was not a Muslim, he felt he needed to work even harder to get there. The same amount of labour and discipline went into his performance as the rickshaw puller in Bimal Roy’s ‘Do Bigha Zameen.’”
“I believe Balraj-ji would ply the rickshaw on the streets of Kolkata, and no one recognized him! That’s how transformative his performance was. We actors of successive generations never got the opportunity to prepare so comprehensively. Even if I did, I would never hope to achieve that level of excellence,” concluded Amitabh Bachchan.