Built in 1923, the bridge has appeared in films like Ganga Ki Saugand, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Bunty Aur Babli and more
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; July 15, 2019)

On Friday, the Uttarakhand government shut the 96-year-old suspension bridge Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh for the public after a Public Works Department (PWD) report stated that the bridge was in a bad condition and could not “sustain more traffic in its present state”. The development will not only have an impact on the locals and tourists but also many film producers as the iconic bridge is one of Bollywood’s favourite shooting locations.

Om Prakash, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), PWD, Uttarakhand, said that orders were issued to have the bridge shut on the PWD-appointed consultant’s recommendation. “It is not certain when the bridge will be opened,” he said.

The bustling 450 ft iron suspension bridge has long been one of the most popular shooting locations in Rishikesh, where everything from movies to television shows to ad campaigns have been shot. It has featured in a number of films, including Amitabh Bachchan’s 1978 film Ganga Ki Saugand, Ayushmann Khurrana’s Dum Laga Ke Haisha and last year’s Batti Gul Meter Chalu.

SALMAN KHAN’S NEXT MAY BE THE FIRST FILM TO GET AFFECTED
Shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Inshallah, starring Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt, is scheduled for next month in Rishikesh, Haridwar and Uttarkashi. A Rishikesh-based line producer says, “In April, Sanjay did a recce in Haridwar and Rishikesh. We don’t have the list of locations yet, but one of the major locations was Lakshman Jhula. It won’t be possible for his crew and him to shoot there now.”

‘ONCE THE AUDIENCE SEES THE BRIDGE, THEY KNOW IT IS RISHIKESH’
Line producers say that Lakshman Jhula in Rishikesh is as iconic as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Taj Mahal in Agra and the India Gate in Delhi. “Even for those scenes that are not shot on the Lakshman Jhula, directors instruct us to pick spots from where the bridge can be seen in the background, like it was seen in Qarib Qarib Singlle. Similarly, if a shot is placed in a restaurant nearby, they prefer frames in which the Lakshman Jhula is visible. Once the audience sees the bridge, they know the place,” says Nitin Pundir, a Rishikesh-based line producer. He adds, “Every year during the kanwar yatra, the bridge is shut because of traffic. Initially we thought that this time also it was because of the yatra but it seems the bridge is shut permanently.”



RULES WERE FLOUTED OPENLY, SAY PRODUCERS
While the spot has been popular for film shooting since the 1960s and 70s, permissions from multiple local authorities were required. And even back then, most of the time, rules were openly flouted. Javed, a Delhi-based line producer who was a part of the crew filming Dum Laga Ke Haisha at Lakshman Jhula, says, “Whenever we asked for permission to shoot at Lakshman Jhula, we were told to not allow more than 50 people together on it. But there was no way we could shoot with just 50 people. To shoot any sequence in a film, we need way more people including the actors, the key crew, the supporting cast and vehicles.”

A Delhi-based line producer adds, “While filming Dum Laga Ke Haisha, we had to put 20-30 dancers on the suspension bridge, which was against the set rules. But, we took the liberty to do that while shooting. Actually, in most cases, a situation like this is unavoidable. The situation is pretty similar with almost all the song sequences that are shot on the bridge.”

Another prominent line producer chips in, saying, “Riding a bike is not allowed on the bridge but the rule was flouted blatantly for multiple ad campaigns.”

TIME FOR THE SPOTLIGHT TO SHIFT TO THE RAM JHULA?
“Production houses can still shoot in Rishikesh, but it will be at Lakshman Jhula’s twin bridge Ram Jhula. It’s located only a few kilometres away. It’s not that popular right now, but we don’t have an option anymore,” line producer Pundir points out.

A Dehradun-based line producer states, “It’s a huge loss for several line producers because Lakshman Jhula is an iconic location. A lot of shooting-related queries from Indian as well as international production houses trickled in only for that location and of course, the Ganga ghat. However, it is better to take precautions than to regret later. Now that Lakshman Jhula is closed for good, it’s high time that we found our options. The state is blessed with a lot of natural beauty and there are plenty of untapped locations which will probably find their space in the spotlight now.”

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 13, 2019)

Mention Hrishikesh Mukherjee and the floodgates open immediately. “Dada was so affectionate, he would come home and tell my parents, ‘Beeji, bauji, Dharam achcha actor hai, mera chhota bhai hai.’ Once when he won an award in Kolkata, he insisted I go and pick it up on his behalf,” Dharmendra reminisces with a smile.

The duo worked together in six films, including Anupama, Majhli Didi, Satyakam, Guddi, Chupke Chupke and Chaitali. The film I remember this week is Chupke Chupke which opened on April 11, 1975. In this comedy of errors, Sharmila Tagore was Dharam ji’s newly-married biwi, while he juggled dual identities—Professor Parimal Tripathi and chauffeur Pyare Mohan. Amitabh Bachchan played Sukumar Sinha, a nerdy professor of English literature who, when he takes on Parimal’s identity, is forced to teach botany to Vasudha, enacted by his endearing better half Jaya Bachchan. Om Prakash, Usha Kiran, Asrani, Lily Chakravarty, David and Keshto Mukherjee made up the supporting cast.

It’s been 44 years, but the laugh riot remains unforgettable, delighting generations of cine buffs through TV reruns. “Even I sit down to watch it when I come across it playing on some channel and still enjoy it immensely. Chupke Chupke was the Sholay of comedy,” admits Dharam ji, adding that the shoot was a 27-day picnic. “We had a blast though Hrishi da could be quite a task master, a school teacher-like disciplinarian who commanded respect,” he shares.

Sounding like a chastised schoolboy, Dharam ji goes on to reveal how once when he turned up late for the shoot, the director snipped out an entire antara from the song, “Sa Re Ga Maa” despite his fervent pleas. On another occasion, juggling two shoots, he reported late for the film’s climax, and Hrishi da, a stickler for punctuality, sternly pointed him towards the washroom, telling him to come out pulling up his zip. His hero protested, “Kya dada, what are you saying,” only for the filmmaker to pointedly look at his watch and tell him not to waste anymore time. A bemused Dharam ji followed his cues, to find the camera on him as he stepped out, his action recorded for posterity as ‘punishment’ for arriving late.

Dharam ji’s Pyare Mohan speaks shuddh Hindi, much to the exasperation of his lawyer brother-in-law played by Om Prakash. He admits that given his natural command over the language, he could rattle off his lines at breakneck speed, impressing Om Prakash ji. “Towards the end of the film, Pyare even starts stammering, and when Sulekha’s jeejaji (Om Prakash) asks him about his new irritant, his driver quips, ‘Gusse mein nacheez haklata hai aur saath saath Urdu bhi bolne lagta hai.’ That line was my contribution,” Dharam ji proudly reveals.

Quiz him on his co-stars, and he points out that he had worked with Sharmila ji earlier, in two of Hrishi da’s own films, Anupama and Satyakam, and they shared a wonderful equation. “Jaya is very sweet, like family, while Amit is a great actor. I couldn’t match his histrionics no matter how much I tried. In fact, all the actors in the film were talented artistes who lived their roles. Perhaps that’s why even after four decades, the film stays with us,” he raves.

Though Dharam ji likes to underplay his own performance, it’s a fact that when Sharmila ji and he take off on their long-delayed honeymoon as man and wife, leaving it to the Bachchans to carry forward the charade on screen, you miss his ‘lovable’ Pyare.

The film was the Hindi adaptation of Uttam Kumar and Madhabi Mukherjee’s Chhadmabeshi. Dharam ji admits that he had been asked to watch the 1971 Bengali film, but had refused. “I didn’t want to be influenced. Uttam Kumar was a great actor; I might have played the role different had I watched his film. I like to be original, I like to be myself,” he asserts.

In this era of sequels and remixes, can Chupke Chupke be remade, you wonder. Pat comes the answer, “With an intelligent writer, for sure. But it would be a challenge because so many people, young and old, have seen the original and loved it. So it will have to be just as matchless.”

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 11, 2014)

"Chupke Chupke is one film I sit down and watch everytime I come across it playing on TV and enjoy every moment. I’m proud I was the hero of this film,” says Dharmendra, recalling the 1975 romcom.

The film, a Hindi remake of the Bengali Uttam Kumar-Madhabi Mukherjee starrer Chhadmabeshi, revolved around a botany professor, Parimal Tripathi, played to perfection by Dharmendra, who tricks his wife’s all-knowing jijaji, Raghavendra, into believing that he is a chauffeur named Pyaremohan. Slowly, Pyaremohan’s chaste Hindi and his growing interest in his just-married sister-in-law, Sulekha starts getting on to the nerves of Raghavendra (Om Prakash).

On the sets, Dharmendra at times drove his director Hrishikesh Mukherjee crazy too by turning up late. Almost four decades later, he rationalises his unpunctuality by pointing out that he was shooting two-three shifts a day at that time. But that argument cut no ice with the disciplinarian filmmaker who edited him out of one antara of Sa re ga ma when he didn’t report on time on the day of the shoot.

“He even threatened to cut me out of the climax for the same reason. I protested saying that I was the hero and editing me out would be a blunder. He was adamant that he could do without his errant hero, but eventually relented because of his deep affection towards me,” reminisces Dharmendra. Apart from Chupke Chupke, the duo made some evergreen classics together, including Anupama, Satyakam and Guddi.

Being the hero, Dharmendra preferred his shots to be taken from a certain angle, but Hrishida would only print the shots he okayed. “One day when we were shooting at Mehboob Studio he complained hat he was feeling tired. I urged him to go home and as soon as he was out of sight, I started instructing the cinematographer Jaywant Pathare to take shots from the angle I wanted,” admits the actor.

However, his newfound sense of authority was short-lived. Fifteen minutes later, they were interrupted by a deep voice asking, “Dharam kya kar rahe ho?”

That’s when the actor realised that like Om Prakash in the film he too had been fooled into believing that the uncompromising director had put the reins in his hands. He says, “Dada knew what I’d be up to as soon as he turned his back and got a laugh out of my over enthusiasm.”