Anil Kapoor reminisces his debut Bollywood flick, Hamaare Tumhare, which hit theatres in 1979 and the valuable lessons that it taught him
Anil Kapoor (MID-DAY; June 24, 2016)

mid-day and I began our journey together 37 years ago. What a coincidence it is! This is truly jhakaas. But at the same time, do remember, I am not yet 37 years old! Well, jokes apart, Hamaare Tumhare marked my debut as an actor. Earlier, I had done a film as a child actor in Tu Payal Mein Geet, in which I played the role of a young Shashi Kapoor. However, the film did not release. Hamaare Tumhare was directed by Umesh Mehra and produced by FC Mehra. The Mehras were family friends.

They knew that fellow filmmaker Surinder Kapoor’s son, Anil, was interested in acting. I was one of the youngsters at that time trying to find a foothold in the industry. So, they decided to cast me. They approached me for the film and I immediately said ‘yes’. I wanted to learn the craft. To say that I was raw, naïve and knew nothing about emoting is an understatement. I just wanted to observe others and learn the craft. I was a student eager to learn and soak in the experiences. I wanted to understand what it was to face the camera with the leading names of that time.

Hamaare Tumhare’s cast included Sanjeev Kumar, Raakhee, Amjad Khan, Prem Kishen, David, Amrish Puri and Mehmood. The film’s music was composed by R D Burman. They were all stalwarts, so I used to hang out with Rakesh Bedi on the sets. Rakesh was also a newcomer at that time. We were both starting out, so gave each other company. I played Rakhee and Sanjeev Kumar’s son. It was a short role and I had very few scenes. I must say that the unit was helpful even though I was scared in their presence. They were all big names and here was I — a greenhorn.

The film was shot extensively at Natraj Studios. There was also a long outdoor shoot in Panchgani. It was like going for a picnic to a hill station with the entire cast. Cinematographer Ashok Mehta also began his journey in Bollywood with this film. It was his first film and that too with big stars, so it was a big deal for him working with Sanjeev Kumar, Rakhee and the others.

At one end were the seniors and at the other, we newbies. Mehmood, who was part of the cast, had his sons Pucky and Lucky act as well. We were part of the younger group and hung out together. The film’s plot revolved around a widower, who lived with his four sons, and a widow, who lived with her three children.

As the title suggests, it was about the two families getting together. If I recall right, I was paid Rs 2,500 for the film. It was big money and my first paycheque for a film! I had a bit role in Hamaare Tumhare, but this led me to the Telugu film Vamsa Vruksham (1980) as a lead actor. Then came Ek Baar Kaho and Hum Paanch (both 1980) followed by Shakti (1982) till Woh Saat Din happened in 1983. The rest, as they say, is history.