Zeenat Aman, who played Roma, Amitabh Bachchan's love interest in Don, recently revealed that Khaike Paan Banaras Wala was not initially part of the 1978 hit.
Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan, continues to be a classic Bollywood action thriller. It is still remembered for its engaging plot and iconic songs, particularly Khaike Paan Banaras Wala. But Zeenat Aman shared that the song was originally created for Dev Anand's Banarasi Babu but was rejected for being "too frivolous."
"If you work in a team industry and are blessed with a bit of luck, you may get to play a small part in creating enduring creative and cultural magic. Rumour has it that Khaike Paan Banaraswala wasn't originally meant to be included in Don. It was created for Dev Anand's Banarasi Babu, but had been rejected as too frivolous," she wrote.
After concluding the shoot, director Chandra Barot realised that the second half of Don "needed some relief" to balance the intense story. The director then decided to call every cast and crew at the Mehboob Studio to shoot the song.
"Long after the film had wrapped, the cast and crew arrived at Mehboob Studio to shoot a new video. With crackling, innuendo-laden lyrics, an irresistible beat, Kishore Kumar on vocals, and a spirited performance by Mr Bachchan, Khaike Paan Banaraswala emerged as a surprise hit," Zeenat Aman added.
The actress also recalled the amount of paan Amitabh Bachchan had to chew during filming and the incredible energy he brought on set. She mentioned that Big B was one of the few male co-stars taller than her, which allowed her to wear proper high heels for the dance sequence.
Zeenat further mentioned that the song became an instant hit and was everywhere on the radio. Some reports even claimed that people were going back to theatres just to watch Khaike Paan Banaras Wala song again.
The song was later recreated by Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra in the 2006 remake of Don by Farhan Akhtar. Zeenat pointed out that their version of the song was just as fun and catchy as the original.
Other than Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman, Don features Pran, Iftekhar, Om Shivpuri and Satyen Kappu in key roles.
Ranveer Singh will be stepping into the iconic role of Don, taking over from Shah Rukh Khan. Director Farhan Akhtar has officially confirmed this by dropping a teaser featuring Ranveer in the legendary character.