Author, poet and journalist Rajkumar Keswani shares lesser-known stories about Indian cinema’s most iconic film, which turns 60 this year
Kunal Guha (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 6, 2020)

When Madhubala first arrived on the sets of Mughal-e-Azam to essay her career-defining role of Anarkali, she brought her usual cheerful personality to work. Known to light up many a room, and to always leave her co-stars and crew rolling on the floor laughing, it dawned on her much later that not everyone was charmed by her ebullience. In fact, filmmaker K Asif found her a bit of a distraction. Soon enough, Madhubala’s shots began getting postponed and she went without shooting for several days. The actor was a little taken aback when, one day, Asif’s assistant Sultan Ahmed informed her that the filmmaker didn’t appreciate her behaviour and expected the cast “to take their job seriously”. The superstar accepted the feedback graciously, submitting to the filmmaker’s approach, and soon, the shoot commenced as planned.

It is anecdotes such as these that feature in plenty in poet, writer and journalist Rajkumar Keswani’s Daastan-e-Mughal-e-Azam, a literary tribute to the iconic film about unrequited love, which clocks 60 this year. Considered a milestone in Indian filmmaking, K Asif’s magnum opus took over 10 years to create. Keswani, who was 10 when it was released, remembers watching the film in Bhopal’s Bharat Talkies. “Those three hours in the theatre changed my life forever,” he says, adding that he was so charmed that he had memorised most of the film’s dialogues.

When he embarked on this project, Keswani’s passion for the film also drew him to follow the life of its director. Music director Naushad told him how Asif had started out as a tailor before going on to weave stories on celluloid when nudged in that direction by his brother-in-law and actor Nazir. In fact, the filmmaker also had a tailoring shop in Dadar’s Khodadad Circle at the time. “Famous heroes of the 1940s, Prem Adib and Jeevan [Narad of the screen], ran a restaurant in partnership in the same locality,” says Keswani about the neighbourhood, which was synonymous with tinseltown dreams at the time.

Most fans will know that development of the feature film began in 1944, but hit a roadblock during the time of Independence, only to commence again with a new cast in 1951. But few know about Asif’s struggle in casting for Anarkali’s role, after Nargis, his original choice, turned it down. Newspapers ads were published across the country, inviting women between the age of 16 and 22 to apply with photographs and biodata. Many actors approached the filmmaker for the role and Dilip Kumar, who was already cast as Salim, recommended the popular actor Vijaylaxmi. But the filmmaker didn’t find anyone suitable.

Asif had tried casting Madhubala for an earlier film, but her father Ataula Khan had set terms that weren’t agreeable with the director. “‘Keep your daughter in a showcase’, is what K Asif told him then,” says Keswani. He adds that the actor was cast as Anarkali only after she reached out to the filmmaker and agreed to work on his terms. “She arrived in her car and the meeting took place in the car itself. She asked him to forget his interaction with her father, and agreed to cooperate with him, because she really wanted to work with him.”

Maratha Mandir theatre, which had planned its gala launch with the release of Mughal-e-Azam had to launch with B R Chopra’s Sadhna (1958) since Asif’s film wasn’t completed by then. The theatre’s leasee owner Seth Mehtabchand Golcha set a clause for every filmmaker who wanted to screen his movie there: When Asif decides to release Mughal-e-Azam, their film would be replaced without notice. And when it did release, it even got travellers from Pakistan who would come only to watch the film. “In fact, Golcha had made special provisions for his Pakistani audience — they wouldn’t have to stand in queue to buy their tickets and could pick it up from inside the theatre itself,” says Keswani, adding that the theatre’s patrons also included filmmaker and actor Guru Dutt and Feroz Khan, who would turn up at Maratha Mandir to watch Mughal-e-Azam every week in the initial months.

“Shapoorji Mistry, the film’s financier, and who famously had several disagreements with Asif over his extravagant production, was no less in love with the director and the movie,” says Keswani. “Shapoorji seth was so obsessed with the dialogues that he would say them aloud as if in an elocution contest.”

Keswani’s book also includes 25 paintings by M F Husain, which were dedicated to Asif and his magnum opus. “Hussain made these paintings during his stay in London, as a guest of K Asif’s son Akbar Asif,” says Keswani of the works, which the renowned artist had gifted to Akbar’s daughter Haya Asif on her birthday.

It took Keswani 15 years to compile his research into a book, but stumbling upon gems about the film made the effort worthwhile. “I didn’t work like a scientist while writing and editing the book. I worked like a passionate lover,” he says. 

Navneet Vyasan (HINDUSTAN TIMES; August 9, 2020)

Being from the industry can only take you so far. Eventually, audience is only interested in what you bring to the screen, not whose son, daughter or relative you are,” says actor Kunal Kapoor, 42, talking about the nepotism debate that has engulfed Bollywood.

The actor, who debuted with Meenaxi: A Tale Of Three Cities (2004), feels that one only has to look at their surroundings to realise that people “are not as interested in legacy as they are with merit”. “Almost all billion-dollar tech companies have been created by people who didn’t come from big corporate families... You see it in our politics, too. And you definitely see it in movie industry,” he says, adding that it is unfair to single out a particular industry.

The Rang De Basanti (2006) actor feels that with OTT platforms, “audiences are exposed to so much content from across the world, which is why you have to push the envelope to grab their attention”. He adds that filmmakers are now looking “inwards” and “are finally telling stories true to us”. This thought reflects in his debut film as well which was directed by the late art legend M F Hussain. “It was a very unconventional movie to debut with. Hussain sir was truly special... Very few people have a mind like his, and make the sort of impact that he did. He was curious, enthusiastic, spontaneous and a creative force. The life lessons I learnt from him will stay with me forever,” recalls Kapoor.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 9, 2018)

After hearing the final narration of his second film script, Sooraj Barjatya’s producer-father, Rajkumar Barjatya, had told him, “This film will be a road roller.” His director-son wasn’t so sure. It had taken him a year and nine months to write this story that revolved around two weddings and a funeral, and abounded in betis, bahus, chachas, chachis, didis, devars, friends and lovers who didn’t wear their hearts on their sleeves. It was a family much like his own with uncles, aunts and cousins living amicably under one roof, except for Tuffy, the wonder dog. Sooraj’s delighted grandfather, movie moghul, Tarachand Barjatya, called it Dhik Tana Dhik Tana after one of its 14 songs but they eventually opted for the title Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! with an exclamation at the end rather than a doubting question mark. As his father had predicted, it was a “road roller”.

Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! opened on August 5, 1994, at Mumbai’s newly-renovated Liberty cinema, and went on to celebrate a silver jubilee run in 150 theatres across the country and struck gold in 52. It was the first Hindi film to ring in 50 weeks abroad, at London’s Belle-Vue Cinema and Toronto’s Albion Cinemas, and even scored a century in select theatres in Mumbai, Pune, Aurangabad and Hyderabad. It’s phenomenal success had the international media sitting up and taking note, with Time International telling its readers that the film which was dubbed in English as Yours Forever, had “replaced Sholay as Bollywood’s biggest smash”.

I remember watching it in a theatre in Serampore on the outskirts of Kolkata with my in-laws and extended family. My father-in-law, who had gone in very sceptical about watching a Hindi film, had come out beaming and humming one of the songs. The film which arrived on a wave of nostalgia for the fast disintegrating joint family system, caught the fancy of an entire generation, and those before and after them. A cook from Mumbai claimed to have seen HAHK..! 120 days in a row, from February 6 to June 5, at Bandra’s Gaiety cinema. A Nagpur resident travelled 12 km every day to watch it 335 times at Panchsheel cinema. Even internationally acclaimed artist M F Husain admitted to watching it 70 times and went completely ‘fida’ over its leading lady Madhuri Dixit, going on to do a series of paintings on her and directing her in his film Gaja Gamini.

Interestingly, Sooraj had toyed with the idea of casting a new girl as Nisha but then realised that the role needed an experienced actress because in the last three scenes, she becomes a mother to her sister’s baby and is called upon to sacrifice the love no one except her didi, now dead, knew about. He had been an assistant to Hiren Nag on Madhuri’s debut film, Abodh, and took Nisha to Madhuri. She immediately empathised with her. “If Nisha didn’t reveal her true feelings for Prem and quietly gave in to the family’s decision to marry her off to her brother-in-law, it’s because her uncle-in-law had pointed to her soon-to-be husband happily playing with his baby and thanked her for giving them a new life. That’s when Nisha decides to sacrifice her love and keep her sister’s little family together. It’s a decision even I would have taken in real life,” Madhuri had once revealed in an interview. Shooting began on October 6, 1992, with Madhuri facing the camera in Ooty.

And what of Prem, a shy family guy living in Sooraj’s dreamland who, down the decades, has become synonymous with Salman Khan? The actor had once pointed out that what set his director-friend apart from the rest is his ‘feel’ for the subject.

“His artistes often asked Sooraj how to work on their characters and he would tell them there was no need to work on them. Just feel them, feel the moment, feel that you are the most beautiful person on earth, clean and pure, then go and give the shot. It’s this ‘feeling’ that makes Sooraj and his films special,” Salman had concluded.

MID-DAY (June 9, 2017)

Rare glimpses of Bollywood over the years will be put up for auction here later this month. Original artworks by the likes of Baburao Painter and M F Husain, publicity material of leading banner-hoarding artists and designers apart from vintage photographs since the '50s will be part of Osian’s The Greatest Indian Show on Earth 2: Vintage Film Memorabilia, Publicity Materials & Arts Auction on June 22.

Structured across eight major sections, it will have original artworks by Satyajit Ray, Mani Kaul and Deepti Naval, to a focus on thespian Dilip Kumar from Mughal-E-Azam (1960). It will also include unique jubilee trophies of Bobby (1973), Deewaar (1975) and original publicity material art for Andaz (1949), Anari (1959) and Guide (1965) to rare vintage posters.

There will be focus on the Kapoors — the first family of Indian cinema — besides rare posters, showcards, lobby cards, photographic stills from the golden 1950s period to the era of Amitabh Bachchan and the Khan trio — Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir. An opening preview will be held on June 16 at Osian’s. Its chairman Neville Tuli spent nearly 20 years to put together the foremost archive, library and collection on India’s cinematic heritage.

Anju Maskeri (THE TIMES OF INDIA; September 26, 2014)

Why do we see so little of you?
I am tagged as a very choosy actress, but the fact is that I'm just a little careful. I want to be a part of films that I feel proud of and not just the song and dance kinds. If you look at any actress' career graph, there'll be just those one or two films that you remember the actress for. For me it was Vivah.

You mostly have a girl-next-door image. Is there a wild side to you?
The girl-next-door image is something I've earned because of the roles I have played. But I would love to do a role that would break that image. For instance, I'd love to play a negative role and that might just shock my audience.

We've heard you have a couple of women-centric films in your kitty. Tell us about it.
I think it's a great time for actresses. It's refreshing when heroines call the shots in a man's industry. Vivah was one such film although people may have different opinions on it. After Vivah there were a string of films like Fashion, Vidya Balan's films, then Queen and Mardaani. It's a revolution of sorts for women right now. Today I feel more confident doing women centric films and I'll start work on them by the end of this year.

Among the male stars you have worked with, who are you most comfortable with on screen?
I had the good fortune of working with Mr Amitabh Bachchan recently. And I think working with Big B was the most comfortable and easy experience because behind all that aura is a very simple person.

Do you feel the pressure with so many newcomers?
Of course. I live in a time when the career span of actors is getting shorter, but I would not say this is new. The demand for new faces is a new trend that has hit cinema. And I don't know how long it'll exist.

What's the secret behind your lean, toned body?
The secret is that I die Eating not Dieting. I'm just blessed with good parental genes.

Do you have a dream role?
I've always been a retro fan. Everything about the golden era fascinates me. I would like to recreate that era. That feel is something that is missing in today's glamsham.

You've only worked with one Khan (SRK) till now. What about the other Khans?
I've always been a fan of Aamir Khan. I think he's the kind of actor, any actor should desire to be. I have admired Salman Khan for the swashbuckling style that just comes to him. He's very stylish and is a trendsetter. SRK is someone who is self made. He puts his mind to his imaging and branding. They are like the Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh of the film industry.

Your role in Vivah was MF Husain's muse. Tell us about your relationship with him.
On the September 17, 2014, if MF Husain was alive, he would have been 99 years old. I remember the last conversation I had with him very vividly. There was a certain reverberation in his 'Hello' and then he would burst into this child like chuckle. He was very passionate about cinema although he was a painter. He would discuss films and would ask me about the films I watch. When I last spoke to him he was excited about touching 100 years according to the lunar calendar. I still can't believe that he's no more.

Any message for your follo'ers?
In today's time everybody wants you to be competitive. There is a lot of pressure. In the wrestle to be a successful person, everyone has become negative and this is something that bothers me. In today's times for people to become more positive has become a bigger challenge than become successful. Being positive is the only way you'll be happier.

Vickey Lalwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 8, 2014)

Reena Roy's sister Barkha Roy's dream of making a biopic on the late M F Husain has gone up in smoke. The legendary painter's family strongly objected to the idea and dashed off a legal notice to her. Consequently, Barkha altered her plans and her project took shape in the form of a 70-minute documentary drama.

A source close to Barkha told Mirror, “Barkha knew she won’t be able to fight with Husain’s family. She was quite friendly with Husain saab and wouldn’t want to go ahead with the project without his entire family’s consent.”

For now, Barkha isn’t worried about it. "How does it matter? For your information, my documentary drama on Husain saab has been nominated for a Dadasaheb Phalke Award."

"I met him in a bank in Dubai. He told me that he has seen Sanam Teri Kasam, which I had produced , 25 times. He even invited me to Dubai and painted a portrait of mine. I have very fond memories of him, both the person and the artist," she reminisced.

Barkha reveals that Husain's elder son, Shamshad is part of her tribute to M F Husain.

"He helped me with a lot of vital information on Husain saab. I am very thankful to him for that. I wanted precise facts and didn't want it to go wrong. Many stalwarts from the industry have also spoken about Husain saab in my film," adds Barkha.

Having shot in Husain’s hometown, Pandarpur, Barkha completed her documentary drama in eight-nine months, out of which seven months were occupied in research. “The film is slated to first release in Dubai and London. Only after that, I shall bring it to theatres in India," she concludes.

A theatre actor from Alwar, Rajasthan, Jatin Sharma has been roped in to play Husain’s part.