Did Ranjit really never drink alcohol? Why was a gathering of stars held at his Juhu house every day? Did Reena Roy herself make parathas and Parveen Babi prepare the pegs? After all, which superstars used to reach there? And did Rajesh Khanna really finish 1-2 bottles in one night? Ranjeet revealed many shocking secrets of the old Bollywood party culture.
Hindi cinema’s veteran actor Ranjeet has shared a glimpse of the friendship and carefree life hidden behind the glitter of Bollywood of the 70s and 80s. Ranjeet, who made his mark as a dangerous villain on screen, told that he never drank alcohol, but his Juhu house was the most favorite haunt of film stars. Big artists from the industry used to gather here almost every evening and the atmosphere was like a family. Actresses like Reena Roy, Parveen Babi, Moushumi Chatterjee and Neetu Kapoor were also an important part of these gatherings.
The villain who drank alcohol in films was a teetotaler in real life.
Ranjit told that in films he was often shown drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes, but in real life he never drank alcohol. He said that his onscreen image and personal life were completely different. Despite this, many big Bollywood stars used to be a part of the parties held at his house.
Juhu’s house became the favorite destination of stars
Ranjeet told that his parents lived in Delhi, while he lived alone in Juhu area of Mumbai. For this reason, his house became the center of get-togethers of friends and colleagues. Talking to ANI he said,
My parents lived in Delhi and I lived in Juhu, so everyone used to gather there in the evening. There was no hesitation or formality.” According to him, the atmosphere was very homely and full of familiarity.
When Reena Roy used to make parathas and Parveen Babi used to handle drinks.
While sharing his memories of those days, Ranjit said that the artists coming to parties were not just guests, but also contributed like members of the house. They say,
Reena Roy used to prepare parathas, Parveen Babi used to prepare pegs, Moushumi Chatterjee used to prepare fish and Neetu Kapoor used to prepare bhindi. The atmosphere was exactly like a family.
From Dharmendra to Raj Kumar, every big star used to reach
According to Ranjeet, almost all the big actors of that era used to come to his house. He said, “Take any hero’s name, he was there.” He specifically mentioned stars like Sunil Dutt, Raj Kumar, Sanjay Khan, Firoz Khan, Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha, who were often a part of his gatherings. During the conversation, Ranjeet also mentioned the drinking habits of some stars. He told, “People like Rajesh Khanna used to drink one or two bottles in a night.” However, he also made it clear that the parties of that era were not limited to alcohol only, but were made special because of friendship, conversation and time spent together.
The arrival of guests in the house was considered a blessing from God.
Ranjeet told that many times he used to return home after working several shifts continuously and by then the party would have started. Despite this he never had any problems. He said, “I considered myself lucky. I believed that the house where guests are welcomed is blessed by God’s grace.” This thinking made his house one of the most talked about gatherings of Bollywood.