Was it Shammi Kapoor’s charm, filmmaker Shakti Samanta’s storytelling, or Shankar-Jaikishan’s music? Maybe it was all of these that made ‘An Evening In Paris’ (1967) a jubilee hit on its release. And it looks like the Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore-led musical, which has remained much loved over the decades, might have a sequel of sorts.

With French President Emmanuel Macron’s India visit putting the spotlight on Indo-French collaborations in cinema, Samanta’s son and filmmaker Ashim Samanta has revealed to mid-day that French national Georges-Emmanuel Morali has proposed “relaunching” the movie in France.

“If all goes well, and with the backing of proactive financial, creative, and governmental support, there is a possibility of a modern spiritual sequel, ‘An Evening In Paris’. Our home production has influenced French national Georges-Emmanuel Morali to consider relaunching this romantic film in France,” said Ashim.

The film has been envisioned as a love story between a French boy and an Indian girl. “The girl visits Paris after watching ‘An Evening In Paris’, and desires to see every heritage spot shown in the film. The French boy takes her to all those locations, and in the process, both fall in love. The clips of the scenes and songs from ‘An Evening In Paris’ would be seen in this movie,” explained Ashim.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 19, 2020)

“I never saw Dada without a book on the sets. Between shots, he was always immersed in an English novel whose cover changed every few days,” recalls filmmaker Ashim Samanta about his father producer-director Shakti Samanta’s frequent collaborator Utpal Dutt. “Curious, I once asked him how long it took him to complete one and Dada said three-five days. A voracious reader, he must have also read Shakespeare a million times.”

When still in college, Dutt toured with Geoffrey Kendal’s Shakespeareana Theatre Company across India and Pakistan for two years, playing Brutus in Julius Ceaser, Horatio in Hamlet and Antonio in The Merchant Of Venice. Within three years of Independence, he set up a cosmopolitan theatre group, Amateur Shakespearana, adapting Julius Ceaser in contemporary costumes and bringing a World War setting to the stage. For him it was, to quote Jacques from As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage; And all the men and women merely players.” And it was in a play in Kolkata, in the early ’70s, that Shakti da spotted him. He had already accepted Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Guddi to pay off a Rs 12 lakh debt brought on by theatre, and agreed to play the main villain in Shaktida’s Hindi-Bengali bilingual, Amanush.

Based on a novel by Shaktipada Rajguru, the film revolved around the misunderstood scion of a zamindar family, Madhusudhan Roy Chaudhury, reduced to a much-maligned, misunderstood penniless drunk by the family munim, Maheem Ghoshal. Ghoshal is eventually unmasked and Madhu, absolved of all blame, is reunited with his lady love, Rekha, by inspector Bhuvan during a short time in the small fishing village. “It was the description of this village in the Sundarbans that caught dad’s interest. He met the writer and asked him if he’d actually visited this place he had described so vividly. When Rajguru admitted to having been there, dad got into a boat with him and his cinematographer, Aloke Dasgupta, excited to see it for himself,” Ashim recounts.

By the time they reached, it was evening. In the gathering gloom, the place looked deserted, desolate and unlike the Eden of his dreams. Disappointed and far away from home, Shakti da decided to sleep in the boat and spent the night warding off swarms of mosquitoes. At some point, he nodded off. His eyes opened around dawn and the picture he saw took him back to the remote village in the Sundarbans with a unit of 150, which included Bengal’s matinee idol Uttam Kumar, who played Madhu, Sharmila Tagore, who was cast opposite him and Dutt as the wily munim. “Amanush began with the titles playing out against the colours of a glorious sunrise he had woken up to that day and captured on screen for posterity,” he narrates.

The village had only a handful of huts. Shaktida built pucca houses at a height of three-four feet to ward off snakes, as also crocodiles and baby sharks, which infested the surrounding waters. The famous Royal Bengal tigers prowled the surrounding jungles, but the light from three generators he’d carted along, ensured they kept their distance. “They were there for almost 40-50 days and dad was so happy with Dada, both as a person and an actor, that after Amanush, he became a regular in our films,” says Ashim.

He remembers that the introverted Dutt, who only visited their home for the occasional party when in Mumbai, was jovial during shoots. “I was still studying during Amanush, but whenever I dropped by, I’d see dad, Dada and Uttam Kumar laughing. Dada walked with an exaggerated limp in the film and many of the jokes centered around his gait and speech,” Ashim reminisces, pointing out that Dutt had great comic timing which was evident in Amanush, and brought on the laughs in films like Gol Maal, Naram Garam and Shaukeen, starting the trend of comic villains patented by Shakti Kapoor, Kader Khan and Amrish Puri in later years.

Three years after Amanush, Shakti da returned to the Sundarbans. “The houses dad had built for Amanush had been handed over to the locals, who were able to boost tourism by renting them out to holidaymakers and globetrotters. He had them renovated for another long outdoors for Anand Ashram,” informs Ashim, about the film revolving around three generations, with Ashok Kumar as the grandfather, Uttam Kumar as his estranged son and Rakesh Roshan his grandson.

A third bilingual was Anusandhan/Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, based on another Shaktipada Rajguru novel, Anusandhan, with Dutt as the corrupt Sahuji, who, with his son Kaliram, unleashes a reign of terror in a slumbering hill station, till a stranger in a Sombrero hat comes in their way. “Amjad Khan as Kaali was the main villain, Dada was there only for the first 25-day schedule in Darjeeling and we had a blast,” he reminisces. Their last film together was the Indo-Bangladeshi co-production, Aar Paar. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to Bangladesh and very little was shot here. But Dada was absolutely brilliant as the crooked and lecherous greedy Mahesh Manna.”

The world continued to be Utpal Dutt’s stage, till the curtains came down on August 19, 1993.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 16, 2018)

This story goes back to Singapore, when Shakti Samanta was shooting his 1960 thriller, Singapore, there with Shammi Kapoor. The filmmaker was going through a rough patch because Naughty Boy, the romcom he was producing and directing with Kishore Kumar and Madhubala, had stopped abruptly after 10 reels. The doctor had forbidden Madhubala to shoot for even a day after they detected a hole in her heart. The film had to be re-shot with a new heroine, Kalpana, leaving Shakti in the red.

“Noticing the worry writ large on his face, Shammi uncle asked him one day why he’d retreat into a shell occasionally and dad explained what had happened,” Shakti’s son Ashim reminisces. “Shammi uncle told him to start another film with him, pointing out that since his market was good, he’d be able to sell it easily and get money. That’s how China Town happened, after which dad never looked back.”

However, while they were shooting the film which had Shammi in a double role, money was tight and Shakti requested Shammi to delay the last instalment till after the release. China Town was a huge hit and 10 days after it opened, the filmmaker went to Shammi’s house with the balance. He was left sitting in the living room for 10 minutes. On his return Shammi told him he’d been speaking to a top actor who when told that Shakti had delayed the payment, had snidely remarked, “Tab to tere paise mile.” “I told him my friends are not like his, you’re here now with the money,” he informed.

Shammi, Shakti and Jaikishan (from the Shankar-Jaikishan composer duo) were the three musketeers who went by the names of Shammi, Shaky and Jacky and it was a given that Kashmir Ki Kali would have music by Shakar-Jaikishan. But just before it rolled, O P Nayyar who’d worked with Shakti in two films, including Howrah Bridge, confided that he was going through a bad patch and had many songs in stock. Not wanting to disappoint, Shakti hopped over to O P Nayyar’s music room where the composer played around 100 tunes for him from which he selected 20. The next day he called Shammi to tell him about this treasure trove. “When he demurred saying they had already decided on Shankar-Jaikishan, dad suggested they visit O P Nayyar’s music room together that evening to listen to these 20 tunes. If he didn’t like them, they’d go back to S-J. Shammi uncle picked 12, eight were used in Kashmir Ki Kali and four in Sawan Ki Ghata,” narrates Ashim.

For An Evening in Paris they went back to Shankar-Jaikishan and for “Aasmaan Se Aaya Farishta” came up with the brainwave of having Shammi serenade Sharmila Tagore from a helicopter with Shammi suggesting he hang out from it. But on the day of the shoot in Beirut, he had an attack of nerves and had to fortify himself with a huge peg of brandy. “But then they realised that the roar of the helicopter was drowning out the music so dad stood right below and mimed the lines with his mouth. Reading his lips while hanging from the sky, Shammi uncle synced it perfectly. It was an incredible feat,” marvels Ashim

They did two more films together, Pagla Kahin Ka and Jaane Anjaane and Ashim remembers his uncle as a flamboyant guy, full of life and fun, and a flirt who’d stand on the balcony attached to their hall, blowing kisses at the girls screaming his name from their balconies and they’d swoon. “He was our Elvis Presley, even off screen. There’s never been another star like Shammi Kapoor,” he asserts.

Shakti Samanta bid the world goodbye on April 9, 2009. On August 14, 2011, it was curtains for Shammi but their “Asmaan Se Aaya Farishta” lives on.

Madhubala in Howrah Bridge; Shakti Samanta; Sharmila Tagore in a still from An Evening in Paris

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 18, 2018)

I met Shakti Samanta just once, at his office in Natraj Studio, and over a couple of hours, I discovered that the stories behind his jubilees were just as fascinating. Tall, with an almost expressionless face, Shaktida, as he was fondly called, though in his 80s and by his own admission not keeping well, still reminded me of a cop. He surprised me by revealing he’d play some bit roles as an inspector, before going on to direct Inspector, featuring Ashok Kumar as the inspector this time, chasing after a car, like he’d done before.

Interestingly, it was a car that resulted in the crime-thriller, Howrah Bridge, whose song, “Aaiye Meherbaan” showcased Madhubala in a glamorous avatar as club singer Edna. It also had Helen doing a “Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu” but for me it was Madhubala’s showgirl oomph that made this Howrah Bridge unforgettable.

Soon after Sheroo, Shaktida was in hospital after crashing his car, with three broken ribs, when in two weeks of forced bed-rest, he came up with the idea of Howrah Bridge which launched his banner. He contacted Ashok Kumar as soon as he came out of hospital. The actor was game, even interceding with Madhubala’s father on his behalf. She shot for his film at the same time as K Asif’s Mughal-E-Azam. “Even as she swayed to 'Aaiye Meherbaan' in a short dress she’d be doing a 'Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya' at Badshah Akbar’s court later in the day,” Shaktida informed, his impassive face breaking into a rare grin.

The following year, Madhubala returned to the screen in his second production, Insan Jaag Utha, this time building a dam with Sunil Dutt. A hat-trick followed with Jaali Note but this time his partner reneged on their verbal agreement and Shaktida laughed that the film lived up to its title even in real life. His fourth film, Barood, was set in a coal mine, but Kishore Kumar who went on to marry Madubala, pointed out that she wouldn’t be able to shoot in a mine with her heart condition. So, Shaktida started Naughty Boy, a comedy with Kishore and Madhubala but after around 10 reels, she was too ill to shoot and he had to reshoot the film with Kishore and Kalpana. He ended up losing money again.

Kashmir Ki Kali put him back in the hit list. It introduced Sharmila Tagore, who’d impressed in Satyajit Ray’s Apur Sansar and Devi, to Bollywood and soon the entire nation was singing, “Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra... Yeh Jheel Si Neeli Aankhen” along with Shammi Kapoor who choreographed the song himself. It didn’t matter that her eyes weren’t aquamarine, her dimples floored everyone.

Sharmila went on to do his Saawan Ki Ghata, but the film that turned her into a fashionista was An Evening In Paris. Sharmila, he confided, had been prepared to wear a bikini for the film — she even posed for a Filmfare cover in a two-piece — but Shaktida didn’t want to take on the censors, and settled for a more conservative swim-suit. “Despite this it was deemed vulgar by Mandi House officials four decades later, and the scene was cut during a screening on Doordarshan,” he shared.

More eyes rolled when Sharmila turned up in Aradhana, with Rajesh Khanna seducing her with “Roop Tera Mastana” then, calling her “ma”. The film made Rajesh Khanna the ‘Phenomenon’ and bagged Sharmila the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, silencing all detractors. Shaktida also bagged the Black Lady for Best Film.

The actor-director jodi would have collaborated on Kati Patang too, but Sharmila was expecting Saif then and had to reluctantly refuse. But she returned to do Amar Prem. This time however, they did not take home any awards because the film was a remake of a Bengali film and despite all the changes Shaktida incorporated was deemed ineligible. No one cried despite the disappointment because as Rajesh Khanna’s character says through the film, “Pushpa, I hate tears...”, Shaktida hated tears too. But he was back to claim more awards with Anurag and Amanuush.

The stories would have gone on had Shakti still been around. He’d have been 92 now, and going by our last conversation, still brimming with ideas. Devdas in 2002, with Prosenjit, he admitted had been a “mistake” but he’d been toying with another Sarat Chandra story. Which one? I’ll never know.

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 24, 2015)

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 2, 2014)

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 17, 2014)

Half a century has passed since Shakti Samanta's 1964 Shammi Kapoor-Sharmila Tagore starrer, Kashmir Ki Kali, opened at the box-office but even today, Yeh chand sa roshan chehra, Deewana hua badal, Isharon isharon mein, Kisina kisi se, Subhan allah, Meri jaan balle balle get feet tapping and fingers snapping. Today, it is impossible to recall the film without remembering these immortal compositions by O P Nayyar. But Samanta's son, Ashim, reveals that O P was not the first choice for the film.

"Dad had worked with O P Nayyar earlier but the combination of Shammi Kapoor and Shankar-Jaikishen was a recipe for success then. However, destiny had some other plan for his Kashmir Ki Kali. One day O P ji called and invited dad over to listen to some of the beautiful songs he had in stock. And dad was floored!" says Ashim.

That very evening he selected 12-15 songs and on reaching home called his hero to inform him about the development. Shammi wasn't impressed. He reminded his producer-director that they had already decided on Shankar-Jaikishen. However, on Samanta's insistence he agreed to listen to the tunes.

And once he did, even he was hooked. And that day the actor went home humming Tareef karoon kya uski jisne tumhe banaya.

Samanta in an earlier interview had admitted that even though the heroines of the time were real beauties, for this film he needed a really young and delicate girl. Sharmila caught his eye as the young bride of Apu in Satyajit Ray's Bengali film Apur Sansar. "She had no ego about being a Ray discovery and though she didn't look like a Kashmiri girl, I felt she would suit the role and approached her," he had revealed, adding that Sharmila was initially unsure whether she'd be able to convincingly pull off a Hindi film. But Samanta assured her that language wouldn't be a problem.

She was a 14-year-old schoolgirl when she made her debut in Bengali cinema. She was still a teenager when she did her first Hindi film. But coming from a progressive family she was self assured and didn't hesitate to romance Shammi Kapoor, a top star of the time, on camera.

Ashim, who was around 10 at the time and in Kashmir when the film was shot, remembers that it had rained non-stop for three weeks while his dad and his crew of 140 members waited patiently for the sun to come out from behind the clouds. He remembers Sharmila using this break to rehearse all her songs with the dancers. "I could hear her rehearsing for hours in the houseboat behind the one we stayed," says Ashim.

Shammi wasn't a part of the rehearsals. He was a natural dancer and could shimmy through any song with elan. "He never worked with any dance director but since he was an old friend, I let him choreograph the songs the way he wanted and the result was Yeh jheel si neeli aankhen and Isharon isharon mein," Samanta had revealed.

Twenty-one days later, when the sun finally came out, there was sunlight from 7 am to 7 pm and Samanta worked for 12 hours a day and wrapped up the shoot on time. "Yeh chand sa roshan chehra was picturised in just four days. Even today, with all the technology at our disposal, it would take at least eight days to shoot a song like that. Sharmilaji's diligence, Shammi uncle's flair for song and dance and dad's genius paid off," says Ashim.

He is restoring the film's prints, along with other classics from his father's repertoire for TV telecasts. Ask him on whether the film can be remade and Ashim says that would be possible only if either Ranbir Kapoor or Salman Khan played Shammi Kapoor's role. He adds, "For Sharmila's part, we would have to cast a newcomer. You can't sign an established star to play a kali (bud), can you!"

Roshmilla Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 28, 2014)

Filmmaker Shakti Samanta knew that Satyajit Ray's Devi had to be transformed into a '60s diva if she was to make a career in Bollywood. The first step was a makeover for his protege Sharmila Tagore -- string cholis, chic chignons and maybe a swimsuit, the director suggested. And his An Evening in Paris heroine, who had glammed up in the three years since she made her debut in Hindi films with his Kashmir Ki Kali was up for it. So much so, that she suggested she would wear a bikini!

But Samanta, realising how conservative our censors were and not wanting to go through the nightmare of a re-shoot, knowing he could never match the colour of the Mediterranean Sea in India or ferry French extras over without going over-budget, insisted on a demure blue single-piece swimsuit. "Sharmila wasn't very happy, but she gave in to my wishes. I'm glad I was prudent, because even then the song was clipped out during a screening on Doordarshan," Samanta had revealed in the course of an interview, adding that when he had questioned a DD official on the subject, he was told that the song was "vulgar". "The answer silenced me. Imagine a film that was passed in '67 with a U certificate being considered "vulgar" almost four decades later!" he said.

Sharmila eventually got her way during a Filmfare shoot. She graced the cover of the magazine in a bikini and shocked the conservatives at the time. But the swimsuit/bikini made her one of the hottest Bollywood actresses of her time and it remained a talking point down the decades.

Apart from Sharmila's swimsuit, Samanta's '67 hit is unforgettable for Shankar-Jaikishen's evergreen score. Ashim Shamanta, the son of the filmmaker, remembers how Shammi Kapoor had agreed to hang from a helicopter during the picturisation of the chartbuster, Aasmaan se aaya farishta, confident that Samanta would never get a chopper on hire. But he did get one, in Beruit, and Shammi got the hotel bar opened so he could fortify himself with a large peg of cognac before reporting for the shoot.

"Once the chopper's propellers started whirring and it ascended to the skies with Shammi uncle clinging on, the unit realised that their hero couldn't hear the song above the din. So, dad took it upon himself to sing the lines. Reading his lips Shammi uncle, who knew the Rafi saab number by heart, lip synced the words perfectly and mimed the action," says Ashim.

He recalls that during the shooting of another song, Raat ke humsafar, Shammi and Sharmila had a slight misunderstanding. "They were not on talking terms. But no one could have guessed that watching them on screen. However, the real romancing was happening off the sets," Ashim reveals. "Nawab Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi fractured his finger in England and was ruled out of a couple of Tests. Taking advantage of his forced break, he flew down to Paris to serenade Sharmilaji. And it was an evening in Paris for real for the much-in-love couple."