"Stars are like kids" - Ramesh Talwar

by | April 22, 2016, 15:41 IST

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Stars are like kids - Ramesh Talwar


Poetry and prose were his playmates and the stage his playground as Ramesh Talwar grew up closely with uncle and playwright/director Sagar Sarhadi. Theatre and films were then an organic choice for young Ramesh. He cherishes his early memories of stalwart Balraj Sahni, whom he got to know while doing IPTA’s play Aakhri Shama (1957), written by Kaifi Azmi. “I was in school when we were touring with this play. The first class coupé in the train was booked for Balrajji whereas the rest of us would travel by ‘third class’. But Balrajji would prefer spending time with us,” says Ramesh now in his autumnal years.


“Often we’d rehearse plays in a school. Before we began doing so, Balrajji would pick up the broom and clean up the place himself. He’d even polish his own shoes.”
Ramesh took baby steps in films when he starred as a child artiste in films like Love in Shimla (1958), Dhool Ka Phool (1959) and Phool Aur Kaliyan (1960). As a teenager theatre was his passion. While he studied in Khalsa College in Mumbai, he’d often visit St Xaviers to direct plays. “The atmosphere there was so liberal. Like girls would be tying Farooque Sheikh’s dhoti to ready him for the act. In Khalsa College, even if we were to accidently, touch a girl we’d get slapped,” he laughs.

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GURU YASH CHOPRA
Through time, Ramesh went on to assist Yash Chopra in seven films - Ittefaq (1969), Daag (1973), Joshila (1973), Deewaar (1975), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Trishul (1978) and Kaala Patthar (1979). “From him I learnt the importance of script and that one should always stick to it. Also the importance of music and visuals. His shootings were like family affairs. For most outdoors, Hotel Oberoi in Kashmir would be booked,” he recalls. Sharing a memory from the set of Ittefaq he says, “I was the fifth assistant. I also happened to be a great fan of Nandaji. When it was time for her to give the last shot, I began crying. You tend to get emotionally attached to people you work with. But it’s up to you how you handle that,” he says of his first lesson.

Doosra Aadmi (1977)
Yash Chopra encouraged him to go independent and direct Doosra Aadmi, a film about an older woman getting attracted to a younger colleague, who reminds her of her dead lover. “Doosra Aadmi was written by Raju Saigal. Sagar saab, as screenplay writer, brought in the advertising atmosphere and penned Raakhee’s character of a modern woman. Raakhee had a certain image after Tapasya. But here, she had to smoke and drink. I told her that if she didn’t want to play the role, then I’d approach Sharmila.” He was surprised when for the next narration, Raakhee came in a hip avatar with sunglasses thrown casually over her forehead.

 


Ramesh wanted Shashi Kapoor to play Raakhee’s lost love, he sharing a striking resemblance with nephew Rishi Kapoor, who was the lead. “Shashi wasn’t keen. But when
 I narrated the story to him as we drove from his house in Malabar Hill to Natraj Studio, he agreed. He only requested the cameo be kept a secret.” He also smiles at the memory of Neetu Singh and Rishi who were dating each other then. “When they were in the midst of a lovers’ tiff, they had to shoot romantic scenes,” he laughs.  Doosra Aadmi found acceptance in metros but got flak in the traditional centres of Punjab and Haryana. “Distributors asked us to delete the smoking and drinking scenes. But that wasn’t possible,” he smiles. What remains memorable however, is the Rajesh Roshan number Kya mausam hai from the film.

Baseraa (1981)
His next Baseraa revolved around two sisters, who in a twist of fate, are wedded to the same man. “I told Raakhee if you play the younger sister, then I would take Nutan as the older one.  But she said she’d like to play the older sister and suggested Rekha’s name for the younger one,” he shares. “Rekha was disciplined and would be ready at 9am. But she wouldn’t shoot after 8pm. As the schedule drew to a close, I was running short of time. But I was nervous about asking Rekha to wait beyond her hours. She sensed that I was sulking and graciously offered an extra day to complete her portions.” It was this cooperativeness that made Ramesh sign the actress opposite Shatrughan Sinha for his mature romance Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamannaa Hai, now ready to release.

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Poonam Dhillon, Waheeda Rehman, Sanjeev Kumar, Swaroop Sampat and Randhir Kapoor is Sawaal



DUNIYA (1984)
Another landmark film in his career is Yash Johar’s Duniya starring thespian Dilip Kumar. “I’m from the West Frontier Pakistan. Dilip saab also hails from there. We share a common language – that’s Abbotabad Punjabi,” he smiles adding, “But I’d heard that woh director ko bahar bitha dete hain. I was scared that it would ruin my career. So I requested that he could share all his suggestions before we began shooting but not during it. He was fine with it. He only insisted that his left profile, which he believed was better, be focussed upon.”
Ramesh recalls an incident that occurred when they were shooting at Seth Studio. “I explained a scene to Dilip saab, which he was to shoot with Om Puri. The scene required Dilip saab to walk a distance and then turn. Actors like Jeetendra, Poonam Dhillon and others who were shooting on the next set, heard of Dilip saab shooting and came there to watch him. This ruffled him and he lost his cool. ‘Kya tum mujhe machine samajhte ho? Main aisa kyon chaloonga?’ he cried. Sensing the tense atmosphere, all the actors began leaving one by one. They thought, “Ramesh Talwar ki pitaai ho rahi hai’!” He continues, “I switched off the lights, sat next to him and softly explained, ‘Dilip saab, you wanted your left profile for the right up frame. That’s why I set the shot this way’. He hugged me and said, “Beta koi baat nahin. Sare agyaasi (all had come)…,” explaining his discomfort with so many people on the set.” Ramesh further reveals, “Pran saab played the villain in Duniya. He’d come sharp at 9am while Dilip saab would come in late. I’d feel bad to keep him waiting. But Pran saab would reassure me saying, ‘Relax! I’ve got my portable TV. I’ll watch the cricket match’.”

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Rishi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna


Rajesh Khanna
Ramesh says his association with Rajesh Khanna goes back to those years when the late superstar was known as Jatin and both played bit roles on stage. When Salim-Javed wrote Zamana (1985), they insisted that Rishi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna be pitted against each other in a casting coup, given their history with Dimple Kapadia. “Rajesh agreed. But Rishi wanted to be reassured that the confrontation scenes were not shot first,” reveals Ramesh adding, “There was slight tension because Rajesh would come late and he would always be in a hurry to go to the next set. Once during the time of Yashji’s Daag, I had to go to his home Aashirwad to wake him up.”
He confides, “The most important thing I learnt from Yashji was diplomacy. There was tension between Sharmila and Raakhee also while making Daag. They had cut to cut and edgy roles. Rajesh favoured Sharmila. Raakhee felt ignored. But the crew was warm towards Raakhee, as she’d always be cooking for us,” he says. “All the three actors wanted to die in Daag. They believed they could score that way. So Yashji shot three different endings to make all three happy. But he retained the scene he wanted – the two heroines sitting together and knitting and Rajesh helping the two children do horse riding.”

Amitabh-Shatru
Ramesh witnessed an undercurrent of rivalry while assisting Yash Chopra during Kaala Patthar as well. “Amitabh was always well-behaved, no demands, no tantrums… right from the days of Deewaar,” says he. During Kaala Patthar, they were all put up at Blue Diamond hotel in Pune. Raj Kapoor’s farm at Loni, where the set was put up, was a 45-minute drive from there. “Those days Amitabh was a top star and he should have been allotted the biggest suite. But to avoid tension, Yashji took that suite for himself and gave the three heroes, Amitabh, Shashi and Shatrughan Sinha the three smaller ones.” He elaborates, “Shashi was easygoing. He’d joke and ask, ‘Accha which scene have you hidden from me?’ He knew that Amitabh was a bigger star and would get the bigger scenes. Also, Amitabh and Shashi were good friends. They chatted and joked on the set. Shatru feared that between the two, he would be shortchanged.”

 


He reveals that during the fight scenes both Amitabh and Shatru wanted the upper hand. “Fight, like dance, has a rhythm.  Shatru, who’s not well-versed in dance, couldn’t understand action. He’d end up hitting Amitabh hard during Kaala Patthar. Amitabh would then quickly hold his hand, fearing being punched. On his part, Shatru felt he was being smashed more often. So Yashji took shots where both had equal importance and balanced the scenes to make them happy.” Getting reflective he says, “I’ve worked with difficult se difficult stars. They’re like kids and you have to handle them accordingly.”/

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Poonam Sinha, Ramesh Talwar and Jackie Shroff




THE WORLD’S A STAGE

His last released film may have been the Madhuri Dixit-Rishi Kapoor-Sanjay Dutt starrer Sahibaan (1993) but all along he has continued to direct plays. Some of his popular works include Shatranj Ke Mohre, Tanhai, Sheeshon ka Masiha (based on poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz), Kaifi Aur Main (based on Shaukat Azmi’s book on husband Kaifi Azmi). He has also done plays with stars, which have also been staged abroad. These include Khoobsurat with Pooja Bhatt, Maa Retire Hoti Hai) and Dr Mukta with Jaya Bachchan, Pati, Patni Aur Main with Shatrughan Sinha, Chupkay Chupkay with Zeenat Aman and the Kabuliwala series with Tanvi Azmi.

 


Apart from his tryst with male actors, Ramesh’s closeness to actress Poonam Dhillon was well-documented in the ’70s. In fact, he co-produced her debut Noorie (1978). “We were friends. There was an emotional attachment. But her parents were not in favour of our marriage. I was much older to her. She also had a career going. Besides I’m a Mona. They are Sikhs,” he states. “When I decided to get married, I told her so. I was already 38. So my mother arranged my marriage with Neeta,” he says of his wife. Today, he remains dedicated to theatre and also enjoys spending time with his daughters Pooja (30) an advertising professional and Tanya (26) a music videographer. Though he chooses to call himself ‘a failed actor’, he has advice for youngsters, “This is a demanding profession. Stay updated and well-read, be aware of world trends and remain sincere. Ek hit aur dimaag kharab hogaya, aisa nahin chalega.”

 

 

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