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Films: A picture is worth a 1000 words
A look at some of the biggest Bollywood stars in their youth through the lens of a journalist. And his memories with them
In these photographs, I seek to capture images that articulate myriad emotions. Recalling the heady days of the 1980s when giants strode the film sets of Hindi cinema, here are select pictures I shot of the stars and my memories associated with them.
Playing scrabble with and interviewing Dilip Kumar
I shot this picture of Dilip Kumar, one of my rare forays into four-colour, in picturesque Pahalgam (Kashmir) where he was shooting for Subhash Ghai’s Karma (1986). While I was looking through my lens and framing the legendary actor against the backdrop of the majestic Himalayas, I recall being struck by an epiphany—however big the thespian, he, like any human being, will not be able to tower over the eternal mountains. I didn’t share my ruminations with him. Instead, in-between shots, Dilip Kumar, his co-star Poonam Dhillon and I played the board game, Scrabble. Dilip Kumar had the authority borne of seniority and an impressive vocabulary, so if he decreed a word was inadmissible, one just gracefully attempted a new word.
Years later, Subhash Ghai introduced us again during the lunch break of the Saudagar shoot. But Kumar, much to my delight, proclaimed that he knew me well and gave me an extensive interview.
Fish n chips with Kimi, and Tina Katkar chip-ping in
This animated candid picture of Kimi Katkar was shot in 1988 while she was mid-conversation with director Raj Sippy on the sets of his film Shehzaade. I met Kimi for the first time at a Kala Ghoda eatery over finger fish, chips and tartar sauce for an interview with her mom ‘chip-ping’ into the conversation. The mother took a liking to me and called me to their Colaba residence for the next interview. Mama Katkar had an errand to run and forewarned her daughter not to talk about rumours of any link-ups. But once Mama was gone, Kimi couldn’t wait to talk about it! I remember Kimi as a friendly girl who was as honest with me as if I were her college buddy.
Amrita Singh: Frank chats with the chattering magpie
Amrita Singh was in her twenties when I shot her in a schoolgirl’s uniform which she wore for Basu Chatterjee’s rollicking comedy, Chameli Ki Shaadi, co-starring Anil Kapoor. Amrita was a sport, willing to experiment with her look and her roles. She was like a chattering magpie then who spoke frankly, and nineteen to the dozen, so I am surprised at the radio silence she maintains nowadays. I remember her telling us with aplomb: “I have always played Russian roulette with my career.”
When she secretly married Saif in 1991, I called to congratulate her. Thereafter, my colleagues and I dropped in at her Lokhandwala row house with cake and champagne. We spoke with Saif and Amrita about their whirlwind romance and marriage till the wee hours of the morning, and it became our cover story.
Neelam Kothari: The eternal baby doll
I shot this picture of Neelam Kothari below her Versova building. In the late 1980s, Neelam was a favourite for filmmakers looking to cast ingénue roles. I got to know Neelam well when I rounded up a bunch of circa-1986 newcomers, including her, Juhi Chawla, Khushboo, Richa Sharma, Govinda etc, for a day-and-night Khandala-Churchgate photo-feature. Neelam’s soft-spoken mom, Parveen, was very wary of the press. She was in the same car as me enroute to Khandala and told me, “I like chicken sandwiches a lot,” before adding quickly, “but please don’t mention it in your article. It’s off-record.” This still makes me chuckle.
Sridevi: Headturner changes her headgear
I shot this picture of Sridevi on the sets of Chandni. Sridevi looked resplendent in a chiffon saree. While she waited for Yash Chopra to decide the lighting, she allowed me to shoot a series of her pictures.
During the dozen odd years when I edited a film magazine, I featured Sridevi in half-a-dozen cover stories, and always found her at the top of her game. For one photo-session, Sridevi was trying on different headgear when I conspiratorially whispered to photographer Rakesh Shrestha, “I think Rekha has worn a similar headgear for one of the shoots.” Sridevi abruptly got up and changed her headgear. She didn’t want to compromise on her originality.
Shekhar Kapur: From Mr India to Mr International
I shot this picture of Shekhar Kapur when he was helming Joshilaay, an Anil Kapoor-Sunny Deol film. His first wife, Medha, was assisting him and I remember the couple running after a squawking hen, laughing all the time. The starry hen was required in the shot but was playing hard-to-get.
Shekhar didn’t impress as an actor but created a sensation as a director with Masoom and Mr India. Masoom was my first date movie with my wife Anita. When she heard me sniffing into my kerchief, Anita politely offered me a cough drop. I had to sheepishly admit that it wasn’t my nose but my eyes which were watering. Shekhar is a fine director but, like Mr India, he keeps disappearing for long phases.
Naseeruddin Shah: Brooding loner
I shot this picture of a brooding Naseer atop a van at the outdoor location of Karma. This was the time when he had started dabbling in mainstream films like Karma and Tridev but he largely stayed aloof from the ensemble cast that included Dilip Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Naseer’s childhood idol (mine too)—Dara Singh. I got an interesting insight about Naseer, not just from my interview but also from Om Puri, who studied with him at the Pune Film Institute. When Om first landed in Mumbai, he went straight to Naseer’s residence in Santa Cruz with a small bag and lived there for a week. Naseer and Om went on to have similar career trajectories but they remained friends.
Hema Malini has a funny bone
I shot this rare no-make-up look of Hema Malini while interviewing her at her residence. Her innate beauty still shone through. When my daughter was young, we would regularly fast-forward Seeta Aur Geeta to the scenes where Hema squashes the villains with vigour and humour. I discovered she has a funny bone in real life too. In the middle of my interview, she suddenly got up and marched to the open window. I saw that an entire crew of labourers in the next bungalow had ceased work to gape open-mouthed at the film star. Hema drew the curtain after quipping, “Three-to-six show chal raha hai, kya?”
Dimple Kapadia’s ice-cream treat
When I became the editor of Movie magazine, my team comprised young reporters, most with freshly-procured graduation degrees from city colleges like St. Xavier’s and Sydenham tucked under their arms. As an initiation, I sent them on the rounds of the film studios—those days, being a member of the press was enough to grease access to most film sets. The reporters happened to meet Dimple Kapadia whom I had interviewed and photographed countless times. They came back with smiles plastered on their faces—she had treated them all to ice-cream to welcome them and to celebrate my becoming an editor.
Jackie Shroff: Mini competition
I shot this picture of Jackie Shroff in his make-up room at Film City while he, Anil Kapoor and Moon Moon Sen waited to be called for a scene for Andar Bahar. In a mini as short as her role in the film, Moon Moon was offered competition by Jackie in an angochha.
There was an undercurrent of competition between Anil and Jackie too, who did numerous films together, including Ram Lakhan, Karma, Parinda and 1942 –A Love Story. But the two heroes also enjoyed an easy camaraderie. A stray remark by Anil to Jackie has stayed with me after all these years, “Aye Jackie, don’t shampoo your hair so often. Baal girte hain.”
Dinesh Raheja is a reputed film historian, columnist and TV scriptwriter who has been writing on cinema for over three decades
From HT Brunch, March 27, 2022
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