Singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has once again spoken about his long-standing rift with actor Shah Rukh Khan, attributing the fallout to a combination of personal hurt and unresolved differences.

Abhijeet, who was widely regarded as one of the defining playback voices for Shah Rukh Khan through the 1990s and early 2000s, revisited the issue during a recent podcast appearance. He reiterated that he felt sidelined and denied due credit, particularly during the 2004 film Main Hoon Na, which starred and was produced by Shah Rukh Khan.

“Shah Rukh Khan’s ego and my self-respect are the reasons for the rift. Shah Rukh is younger than me, yet when Farah Khan’s husband abused him so much, Shah Rukh still hugged him. Aamir Khan even named a dog after Shah Rukh, and the two of them still became friends,” Abhijeet said in an interview with Nidhi Vasandani.

“What hurt me was that you couldn’t even say sorry once. You are such a big person, yet no apology. The blunder you made, just remember, something like this will happen to you too, maybe in your own home production,” he added.

Rejecting claims that his position stemmed from ego, Abhijeet said, “I was very proud, I had stopped singing for others. I felt I was Shah Rukh’s voice and wouldn’t sing for anyone else. This isn’t ego, it’s deep hurt”.

He also recalled instances where he felt ignored despite being present. “When I saw him hugging everyone, I was sitting right there too. He could have just said, ‘Come on, Abhijeet, let it go.’ He could have done at least that”.

Responding to suggestions that he invokes Shah Rukh Khan’s name for publicity, Abhijeet said, “It’s not that I want to sing for you. You say people are using your name for publicity. Why would I use your name when you are using my voice? That’s the pain”.

“If I had made such a mistake, if I were Shah Rukh, I would have gone to his house, grabbed his collar and said, ‘Come on, let it go,’” the singer added. “This is very petty behaviour. My songs will be heard for life. Today, people don’t even know who Rajesh Khanna was, despite him being such a big superstar. They listen to Kishore Kumar and Rafi, but don’t know those songs were picturised on Rajesh Khanna. You and I may know, but the next generation won’t”.

Despite the ongoing differences, Abhijeet indicated that reconciliation remains possible. “If there is a patch-up, the kind of voice Shah Rukh needs, no one can give him that. I can give him an even better voice than before”.