Bollywood veteran Parikshit Sahni fondly recalls working with legends Dev Anand in ‘Awwal Number’ and assisting Raj Kapoor in ‘Mera Naam Joker’, sharing insights into their passion, style, and timeless impact on Indian cinema
Bollywood veteran actor Parikshit Sahni recalled his experience of working with the late legendary and Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winning actor Dev Anand.
The ‘Gul Gulshan Gulfam’ actor Parikshit Sahni shared the screen with Dev Anand in the film ‘Awwal Number’, which also starred Aamir Khan in the lead role. It was released in 1990.
In an interview with ANI, Sahni termed Dev Anand as a passionate actor who “always wore a suit and tweed coat.”
“He always had a muffler with him, and he was a great admirer of the British,” recalled Sahni.
Sahni also heaped praise on the legend’s working style. The actor recalled, “He (Dev Anand) was very distinct about his work. He rehearsed before he came to the sets.”
More than just a film star in the Indian cinema industry, Dev Anand resonated his timeless appeal, strong screen presence, and versatile performances in movies like the ‘Jewel Thief’, ‘CID’, ‘Taxi Driver’, and ‘Paying Guest’, among others. He also entertained and inspired countless filmmakers and actors.
In a career that spanned over six decades, he worked in more than 100 films. Dev Anand passed away at the age of 88 on December 3, 2011, due to a cardiac arrest in his room at The Washington Mayfair Hotel in London.
Meanwhile, Parikshit Sahni revealed that he had assisted the Bollywood showman, Raj Kapoor, in the film ‘Mera Naam Joker’.
In an exclusive conversation with ANI, Parikshit Sahni revealed that Raj Kapoor personally invited him to work as an Assistant Director (AD) on the film.
The actor was joined by Randhir Kapoor for the same position in the production.
“Raj Ji called me to be one of his assistants while he was doing ‘Mera Naam Joker’, in which there was a Russian circus that was to be filmed. I was with him for a while as an interpreter of the circus. Dabu, his elder son, Randhir Kapoor, was also present. I was with Rajji for about a year, I think,” Sahni said.
Parikshit Sahni About Raj Kapoor
Reflecting on his experience of working under the iconic filmmaker, Sahni described Raj Kapoor as a dynamic and passionate director who brought unmatched energy to the sets.
“He was like a spitfire. He would never sit down. There was a chair for him, but he got so excited when he was directing that he would never sit down. He used to get so tired by the end of the evening that he had a special little cottage in which everybody sat till two o’clock in the morning. At the same time, Randhir and I would stand quietly against the wall while he sat,” said Parikshit Sahni.
The actor recalled his last conversation with Raj Kapoor in which the latter remembering Sahni’s parents.
“He called me only when he was told that he had a very bad disease that he wouldn’t survive. Then, one day, he called the entire film industry. He couldn’t even. He told me, the last thing I remember is, he told me, ‘come and sit with me’. I think he couldn’t talk. He put his arm around me and said, I remember your dad. I remember your mother,” added Parikshit Sahni.
Fondly remembered as the ‘Showman of Indian Cinema,’ Raj Kapoor made his first on-screen appearance as a child artist in the 1935 film ‘Inquilab’.
His major breakthrough came with ‘Neel Kamal’ (1947), opposite Madhubala. In 1948, he founded his own banner, RK Films, which went on to produce several classics.
As for Sahni, the actor has appeared in notable films and television serials, including Pavitra Paapi, Kabhie Kabhie, and Gul Gulshan Gulfam, earning widespread acclaim for his versatile performances. (ANI)
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