4 superstars who rejected Zanjeer before Amitabh Bachchan was cast

Prakash Mehra's Zanjeer (1975) was a breakthrough film for Amitabh Bachchan

With Zanjeer, Amitabh Bachchan earned the title 'Angry Young Man'

Salim-Javed's script gave birth to a new-age action hero, that captivated the masses

However, the journey of Zanjeer from inception to completion wasn't easy

Here are the actors who reportedly rejected the lead role in Zanjeer before Amitabh Bachchan was finalised

Salim Khan in an interview said that they approached Dharmendra with Zanjeer, but he rejected the film

Dharmendra

Late acting legend Dilip Kumar was approached to play the lead in Zanjeer, but he rejected the film and later regretted

Dilip Kumar

Dev Anand was also approached to lead Zanjeer, but he wasn't convinced by the role

Dev Anand

Prakash Mehra even approached Raaj Kumar to lead Zanjeer, but he also rejected the film

Raaj Kumar