Amar Singh was known for his unusual generosity. He was the kind of man who went out of his way to help people whom he didn’t even know closely. That’s a rare quality and a quality that can forgive a lot of faults. But, his most talked about the rift with Shri Amitabh Bachchan doesn’t tell us this story. The bond of friendship between Amar Singh and Shri Amitabh Bachchan was the talk of the town, so what went wrong between the two thick friends and what made their relationship turn into a bitter ending?

Shri Amar Singh was a newly elected Rajya Sabha Member and he had invited me to come and meet him at his Delhi residence. As we sat across his bedroom, we spoke about various topics under the sun. We didn’t realize how it became dawn to dusk as time seemed to move fast in this enjoyable yet intimate conversation. We spoke for a delightful four hours filled with enriching stories and life occurrences.

Shri Amar Singh said ‘Deepak, tu pagal hai, doston ke liye,’ to which I instantly said, ‘but aapke jaise dosti koi nahi nibha skata,’ and we both laughed. Among other things he also shared with me about how his relations became bitter with Shri Amitabh Bachchan. Where the world thought that the reason was money, but for people who knew Amar Singh would know that he always kept relationships above money.

He narrated to me the real reason behind the end of his friend with Amitabh Bachchan.

Amar Singh helped Amitabh Bachchan in his lowest period, a step that revived the financials of the superstar. Their bond grew stronger and they walked like inseparable brothers people would envy of. It was with Amar Singh’s backing that Jaya Bachchan got a seat in Rajya Sabha. Sometime later, within his party, things grew sour and he had to walk away from Samajwadi Party. It was the lowest period in his political career. Jaya Prada who also considered him her mentor walked out along with him. He was expecting Jaya Bachchan also to move out with him as they were like family, but instead, she went ahead and took a Rajya Sabha seat for the second term. Amar Singh was very embarrassed and deeply hurt with this move. His heart was wounded, and he was simply expecting the support of the Bachchan Family in his low stage of life. He felt that his brother Amitabh Bachchan could have supported him to balance the embarrassment he was facing. Amar Singh was hurt and not angry as Amitabh Bachchan did not protect his self-respect and that was one thing that left the relationship impaired.

He was a compassionate and humble human being. Well-respected, jovial, and always treated everyone with warmth. He was fond of old Bollywood songs. He would sing and enact all the actions of that particular song while thoroughly enjoying it. He leaves a void in the lives of his many friends. When I look back I am left with a smile which is a mark of all the sweet memories I have had with him…