The Wonder Years

How did you manage to stay in Delhi for two months for its shoot?
I had organised my house for that time. Still,I was calling 10 times to check. I wasn’t worried about my husband because he was shooting with me and my Ranbir was away shooting. I was most worried about the dogs as they are used to sleeping in our room.

Before the Love Aaj Kal cameo,which was the last shot you ever gave?
It was for Kaala Patthar I think. I distinctly remember I was coming back from Pune with Yashji (Chopra). He wanted me to do his next and I told him I cannot because I was getting married. I had given letters to everybody a year in advance saying that I am getting married. I did not want any film to suffer because of me. After I got married,I didn’t go even one day to work.

Was the parting from films then difficult or emotional?
No. I was working since I was five. I didn’t have a childhood or teenage. I had no friends. I had nobody. I was very happy to get married. I wanted to relax and get a life. When the children came,I was happy in my own world.

Did Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and Ranbir Kapoor (her kids) ever wish to see you in the movies again?
Not at all. They wanted me around every time they came home or gave exams. I never even thought of going back to films. My home and family was my priority.

Did you feel nostalgic on the first day of Do Dooni Chaar’s shoot?
I was nervous. I wear reading glasses. But I wore short-sighted lenses so that I could see people. In the process,I couldn’t read my lines clearly. Next day,I took out my lenses. Everything and everyone was out of focus. But I was better off knowing my lines. In the entire film,I cannot see anybody,but I managed well with the lines.

But a lot must have changed over the years.
There were no monitors and sync sound then. I was shocked to hear that the cameraman is called the DOP now. The sets are so much more organised and scripts are handed to you beforehand. Back then,lines were written on the sets. There were just two stylists,who did the styling for the entire industry. One day another heroine and me ended up wearing the same dress on set for the same movie. Vanity vans were unheard of. This time when I got one to myself,I felt all starry.

How did you all manage without vanity vans?
We put a table on the road,placed a mirror on it and did our makeup in the heat. My husband was very bratty then. He would pick a fight with me on any silly thing and then when I was doing my makeup he would splash eyeliner on my face and ruin it.

But were those days more fun?
Definitely. There was no bitterness and competitiveness. I am not active now but from whatever I read and see there is a lot of animosity between actors. But Hemaji,Rekhaji,Shabana and Zeenat-we were all friends. All the actors knew my husband (then boyfriend) and so they used to give me a lot of respect. We played games on the sets.

You did a lot of teeny bopper roles. How did you choose your scripts?
I never chose a script. My mom decided everything for me. I was just 16 or 17. Once I was saying a line to Amitabh (Bachchan) in Adalat. I had to say something like ‘I love you’ and Amitabh burst out laughing. When I asked him about it he told me that I was so young that I didn’t even understand what I was saying.

All your movies with Rishi Kapoor worked like magic?
That’s because Dimple (Kapadia) got married and I was the only young girl who could be paired opposite him. I got movies on a platter and so we did like 11 movies together. We did crazy shifts from 7-2,2-6 and 6-12. Rishi and I were going from one set to the other. After a point,we became a habit for each other. He thought I understood him very well and that’s probably how we got married.

But given a chance,would you have done more challenging roles?
Yes. When I gave up at 21,I knew what acting and movies was all about. If I had stayed on for two to three years more,I would have done more serious acting. Today,I have done Do Dooni Chaar knowing for the first time what the script is all about.

Has your perception of Rishi Kapoor,the actor,also changed?
Back then we just did movies together. Now I feel Rishi is such a good actor. He brings so much to the scene and the way he transforms himself is just amazing.

Would you want to work with Ranbir now?
I would love to. But only if something as noble as Do Dooni Chaar comes my way.

Starry days
Rishi Kapoor: Supremo of natural acting. He does it so effortlessly.

Amitabh Bachchan: He is the funniest man on earth.

Shashi Kapoor: He is my uncle. I used to touch his feet and then give the shot. He was my favourite actor back then.

Jeetendra: He was my husband’s good friend. We were always in a hurry to leave. We finished all our schedules before time.

Shatrughan Sinha: He is a great co-star but my problem with him was his timing. I had this 8 pm deadline when I had to go and meet my boyfriend. And he always landed on the sets at 8 pm.