Hrishikesh Mukherjee altered Namak Haraam climax at Rajesh Khanna's request

During the production of the 1973 Hindi film ‘Namak Haraam’, director Hrishikesh Mukherjee reportedly altered the film's climax due to pressure from superstar Rajesh Khanna.

At the time, Rajesh Khanna was a major star, while Amitabh Bachchan was still establishing his career. After discovering that the original script ended with Bachchan's character dying, Khanna requested a change to ensure the emotional sympathy of the audience remained with his character. Consequently, the ending was modified so that Khanna's character died instead.

Despite these changes, the film ultimately became a turning point for both actors. While the script was adjusted, further modifications were made to strengthen Bachchan's role, which helped him receive significant critical acclaim for his performance following the death of Khanna's character.