Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has revisited the initial audience reaction to one of the most memorable scenes in Hindi cinema — the temple sequence from Deewaar featuring the iconic dialogue, “Aaj khush toh bahut hoge tum.”
Bachchan recalled the episode while interacting with actor Rajkummar Rao on Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18, after Rao recreated the celebrated monologue on the show’s set.
As Rao performed the scene facing Bachchan, who originally portrayed Vijay Verma, the veteran actor remembered how audiences at the film’s premiere initially responded with laughter.
Bachchan explained that the reaction came because Vijay, a character who does not believe in God, addresses the divine in an unconventional and confrontational manner. With his mother critically ill, Vijay climbs the steps of a temple for the first time and speaks directly to God.
“Sir, jab yeh dialogue bola gaya tha premiere ke din tab log hasne lage kyuki kisi bhi kirdhar ne bhagwan se iss tarah se baat nahi ki hain,” Bachchan recalled.
He said the laughter, however, lasted only briefly before the theatre fell silent.
Bachchan had previously described the premiere reaction as a “snigger and a gentle laughter”, explaining that viewers initially assumed the scene was intended as a joke. Within seconds, he recalled, the laughter stopped and the audience was left stunned.
The temple sequence has since become one of the defining moments of Deewaar, with Vijay confronting God over his mother’s condition despite his rejection of religion. The scene culminates in the now-famous line, “Aaj khush toh bahut hoge tum.”
Directed by Yash Chopra and written by Salim-Javed, Deewaar was released in 1975 and starred Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Nirupa Roy, Neetu Singh and Parveen Babi. The film, centred on two brothers taking divergent paths in life, became a landmark of Hindi cinema.
Salim-Javed’s work on the film’s screenplay and dialogues also earned major recognition at the awards held in 1976.