'I Couldn't Imagine Even Chatting With Kamal Haasan'

'I was completely in awe of him.'
'After the shot was okayed, I would quickly run back to my chair and sit quietly till I was called again.'

On November 7, one of Indian cinema's finest actors and film-makers, Kamal Haasan, turns 70 and wishing her Ek Duuje Ke Liye co-star on his big day, Rati Agnihotri goes down memory lane with Rediff.com Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya.

Remembering K Balachander's 1981 tragic romance, a cult film today, the actress shares, "Mere Jeevan Sathi was filmed inside the lift of the Hotel Taj Coromandel in Chennai. I don't remember much about the shoot except the elevators back then were pretty small and Kamal and I couldn't do much in the cramped space except smile and move the upper portion of our bodies without going out of the frame."

Back in Gaiety-Galaxy

The other day, I went with my son, Tanuj (Virwani), for the first day, first show of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3.

The crowd at the multiplexes are too elitist, watching silently and leaving quietly. Being from the film industry, we wanted to experience the horror-comedy with a more interactive crowd who laughed, clapped, screamed and whistled.

So Tanuj suggested we go to Gaiety-Galaxy theatre in Bandra (north west Mumbai).

I was immediately excited, remembering my earlier visits to the theatre, sitting in the box in the balcony and watching one of my films with the audience to gauge their reaction first-hand.

After many years, I was back, feeling nostalgic, and was instantly recognised by the liftman, a wide-eyed, young boy, who stuttered, 'Aap Rati Agnihotri hain na?' admitting that his mother was a huge fan.

I was in films for less than a decade, retiring prematurely after I got married when at the peak of my popularity, yet some of the films I did as a leading lady have kept me alive in people's memory, among them my debut Hindi film.

A remake of K Balachander sir's 1978 Telugu film Maro Charitra, Ek Duuje Ke Liye released in 1981. Yet, even after 40 years, people haven't forgotten Vasu and Sapna.

It is the love story of a South Indian boy and a North Indian girl and Kamal (Haasan) and I were perfectly cast because he is a Tamilian while I come from a Punjabi family.

Around the world with Kamal

I got into films at the age of 16 quite by accident when Bharathiraja sir saw me in a school play and convinced my father to let me play the lead opposite Bhagyaraj in his 1979 Tamil romance drama, Puthiya Vaarpugal.

It was a blockbuster and I did a second Tamil film with him, Neeram Maraatha Pookkal.

There were other films down South, including Ullasa Paravaigal with Kamal, which released in Tamil on March 7, 1980, and a year later, in Telugu as Prem Pichchi.

It was also dubbed in Hindi as Do Dil Deewane.

Like many South Indian films, it was a beautiful love story, way ahead of its time.

Kamal plays Ravi who, after the girl he loves dies in a fire, develops pyrophobia.

I'm his childhood friend, Nirmala, who along with his father and friend Raju, helps him get over his fear of fire and settle scores with his villainous uncle.

The film was shot in Germany, Japan, France and the US, among other countries, and I got to travel the world while being paid handsomely for it.

My mother accompanied me and while it was pretty hectic -- because every other day we were in a new country -- it was fun too.

The unit stayed together, ate together, worked together and lived out a dream together.

The innocence of a sweet 16 star

I had a pretty ordinary and regimented life till then.

My dad worked for a multinational company and we would sit down to supper every evening at 7.30 pm sharp.

Movie shoots in comparison were like a vacation.

I got to fly off to different places, stayed in five-star hotels and dinner was South Indian fare which was a refreshing change for me from the kali channa and muttur pulao I ate at home.

I was clueless about how much I was earning, but back then, even girls from affluence did not want for much and I was happy if my dad occasionally let me have sev puri and pani puri.

Stardom did not spoil me and my innocence was reflected in the characters I played.

If you recall that shot in Ek Duuje Ke Liye where Kamal spins a top on my navel, more than tantalisingly sexy, it is girlishly cute.

Balachander sir took it in one long shot without any cuts and as the top spun, I began to feel ticklish and started giggling which his camera captured beautifully, moving up to focus on my face.

Kamal was six years older and back then, that was an appreciable age difference.

Having worked in films from a young age, he was also far more experienced, besides being a huge star.

I was completely in awe of him.

While I laughed and danced with him on screen, off it, I couldn't imagine even chatting with him.

After the shot was okayed, I would quickly run back to my chair and sit quietly till I was called again.

There was the language barrier too.

Love finds its own language

I've done a lot of films in Tamil, Telugu and even Kannada, and while I eventually learnt these South Indian languages from listening to the unit chatting around me and coordinating with them, in the initial years, I did not speak a word.

Balachander sir would explain each shot in detail and I would do exactly what I was told depending on the situation and what I had understood to the best of my ability.

It seems like a school-girlish approach today, but at the time, it was the only way to get things done since I had zero knowledge of film-making, very limited exposure to the industry and didn't even know the language.

If I couldn't comprehend something, Prasadji (producer L V Prasad) would jump in to explain since he was the only one on the set who spoke Hindi and English.

Despite the linguistic barrier, everyone was very affectionate, caring and gentle.

Kamal too was very helpful, telling me to take my cues from him and simply copy what he was doing or react to it.

I did ask him the meaning of certain phrases because I had to know what he was saying to react appropriately.

Romancing in the lift 

Ek Duuje Ke Liye has an evergreen music score by Laxmikant-Pyarelal.

S P Balasubrahmanyam sir won the National Award for Best Male Playback Singer for Tere Mere Beech Mein.

His first Hindi film also bagged him the Filmfare Award for the same song while Anand Bakshi took home the Black Lady for Best Lyricist.

Balasubrahmanyam sir also sang the song as a duet with Lataji (Mangeshkar) who collaborated with Anup Jalota for Main Solah Baras Ki.

Beside these two songs, there was the title track, Hum Bane Tum Bane Ek Duuje Ke Liye, the poignant Hum Tum Dono Jab Mil Jayenge, the distraught Tere Mere Beech Mein Kaisa Hai Yeh Bandhan Anjaana and the fun Mere Jeevan Sathi Pyar Kiye Ja.

Mere Jeevan Sathi was filmed inside the lift of Hotel Taj Coromandel in Chennai.

I don't remember much from the shoot except that elevators back then were pretty small and Kamal and I couldn't do much in the cramped space except smile and move the upper portion of our bodies without going out of the frame.

We couldn't even use too many lights because the mirrored walls would catch their reflection.

I had no costume designer, hairdresser or even a make-up man.

I wore whatever the dress dada gave me, having no say in the matter.

Someone combed my hair before the shot and dabbed off the perspiration with some powder.

A touch of roll-on gloss and a steak of kajal that my mother made at home and I was ready to face the camera.

There was no prep or grooming either.

The song was shot quickly in the hotel basement and the limited area we had access to, within the few hours that we had permission for, with Kamal urging me to act as natural as possible.

The chemistry between us, Anand Bakshi's peppy lyrics that came from borrowing the titles of yesteryear films, L-P's catchy tune, Balasubrahmanyam sir and Anuradha Paudwal's voices and Balachander sir's vision made Mere Jeevan Saathi unforgettable.

I was at the right age to play Sapna, but since I had never been in love myself, when I was called upon to look happy, sad, angry or defiant, I simply followed Balachander sir's instructions like an obedient student.

There's this emotional scene in the film where her mother burns a photograph of Vasu and Sapna watches her with tears streaming.

Then, she picks up her father's cup of tea, stirs the charred remains into it and drinks it with the rebelliousness of youth.

Would you believe I actually drank the ashes while filming the scene much to the shocked disbelief of my parents?

That's how naively innocent I was.

Making history

Kamal and I did one more film together, Dekha Pyaar Tumhara, which released in Hindi in 1985. It was dubbed in Telugu as Allari Mogudu Anumanam Pellam in 1996.

A crazy romcom, it revolves around a couple, the wife dog-training the husband after she suspects him of having an affair.

All's well till Kamal's Vishal/Vishy then gets hold of the book my character Anu has been using and makes life hell for her believing she has been cheating on him.

The film also features Moushumi Chatterjee and Kalpana Iyer as the other woman Rosy.

Kamal is not just a brilliant actor, but an actor par excellence.

I was always very hard-working and sincere and you can see the honesty even in these early films.

I have evolved over time and even won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress Award for B R Chopra's Tawaif.

I have returned to this wonderful industry where I have spent my best years and it would be wonderful to work with Kamal again.

Even at 70, he remains one of our best actors.

Till then, there's Ek Duuje Ki Liye to bring back memories of Sapna and Vasu whose love story ended on a tragic note, the madly in love couple jumping off the cliff together to embrace death after Vasu is badly beaten up and Sapna violated.

That rape scene was scary, not just for the audience, but also for me.

The location while picture perfect, was a difficult terrain to navigate with all those jagged rocks and sand.

I was left with bruised knees and elbows.

Forty-three years later, the soul-stirring Hum Tum Donon Jab Mil Jayenge, Ek Naya Itihas Banayenge still echoes in my ears.

Ek Duuje Ke Liye was one of the biggest grossing Indian films of 1981 and a cult classic today.