Manoj Kumar on his heroines

MEENA KUMARI

A photograph with Meena Kumari meant a lot for a beginner like me. I had my pictures shot with her during the filming of Chand, Sahara and other films. I’d post these photographs to Shashi (my wife, whom I was dating then) in Delhi. Once, Meenaji and Kamal Sahab (Amrohi, husband and filmmaker) happened to attend a mushaira in Delhi. Shashi too attended it with her family. There she met Meenaji and showed those photographs to her. Meenaji was surprised. Back in Mumbai she teasingly asked me, “Kise bheji thi tasveerein?” Meenaji understood that Shashi and I had some connect.


Those days we wrote the dialogue on slates. I’d write scenes in Urdu on them. Meenjai appreciated my handwriting. She was affectionate towards me. But it was not in her hands to promote me. She, I believe, was under tremendous pressure at that time. Though she was known as the tragedy queen, she was a clever lady. She had lost one of her fingers in an accident, a fact she cleverly hid on screen. Even in the dramatic scenes, she’d manage to conceal it. She once told me, “One day your struggle will end. But from then on another struggle will start. Beware of that struggle. Success is difficult to maintain.”

 VYJAYANTHIMALA

I first worked with her in Dr Vidya. It seemed difficult even to say ‘Good morning’ to her. She had that aura. She charged three lakhs for the film while I was signed for Rs 7000. She was reserved initially. But the director Rajendra Bhatia was humorous and so was I. So things eased a bit. Those days she was deciding whether to do Raj Kapoor’s Sangam or not. Raj saab used to come to Mohan Studios at 4 pm everyday and spend one or two hours discussing the film. Later I did Phoolon Ki Sez with her. We shot the film in Ooty and in the course we became friendly. We’d even play tennis.

MALA SINHA

She was a huge star, charging lakhs while I was signed for Rs 11, 000 for Haryali Aur Raasta. She was very hard working. She’d ask the director for one more take even after he had okayed it. Also, she had a peculiar habit. Whenever my close-ups were shot, she’d come and stand close to the camera. That made me nervous. Later on it was revealed that she was only concerned whether I was doing it correctly. Once she got upset with me. We were shooting in Darjeeling for a schedule of Haryali Aur Raasta. We’d begin shooting at 6.30 am. So the unit would carry breakfast tiffins to the location. There were eggs too. Someone asked me “Whose eggs are those?” I replied, “Malaji’s!’ She heard that and got offended. She said, “Kya main ande deti hoon (do I lay eggs)?” But after an hour, she was her jovial self.

 SADHANA

When director Raj Khosla approached Sadhana to team up with me for Woh Kaun Thi she said, “Somehow our films together don’t work.” But Raj said, “Don’t worry; two negatives will make a positive.” The song Lag jaa gale filmed on us is beautiful. It has a story behind it. One day Madan Mohan (late composer) called me and said, “Raj ka dimag kharab ho gaya hai (lost his mind). He’s calling a good song bogus. Please come and listen to it.” The next day NN Sippy and I took Raj to Madan’s place on the pretext of hearing new tunes. He first played Lag ja gale. After it was over, there was a silence. Raj got up from the seat, went to the door, picked up his shoe, and started beating himself. “In what bloody mood was I to reject the song!” he rued.

ASHA PAREKH

She was a huge star but she sent her foster brother Jagdish Narula to sign me opposite her for Apna Banakar Dekho. One the sets she’d say, “Pandit write the scene.” She was the only person who invited my wife Shashi and me for lunch after we got married. She would even call us home for targolas and pani-puri. Later I did Do Badan with her. The title Do Badan was inspired from Makhdoom Moinuddin’s lyrics Do badan pyaar ki aag (Cha Cha Cha).

Asha had supported me in my early days and so I offered her Upkar. She had very sharp eyebrows, which you won’t find in Upkar. I was a hard taskmaster and made her stay away from shaping them in that manner. As a person, it’s difficult to define Asha. She was always independent. Even at that age, it was she who looked after her parents. The way she has served them, hats off to her!

WAHEEDA REHMAN
She had no airs of a leading lady. During Aadmi, director Bhim Singh was down with a paralytic attack. Dilip saab (Kumar) had to go to Kodai Kanal for some work. So, I was given a few scenes to direct. Waheedaji never questioned me. She respected me even though I was much junior to her. She had a fat book in her hands – Fountainhead! She kept reading the same through the three films we did — Aadmi, Patthar Ke Sanam and Neel Kamal. Her simplicity invited respect. Also, she never allowed anyone to hold the umbrella for her.

NANDA

I did Bedaag with her. She was senior to us but encouraged us three, Shashi Kapoor, Dharam and myself. Nanda always carried the image of choti bahen. But actually she loved life, eating, singing and music. I had already signed Jaya Bhaduri for Shor. I never thought Nanda would accept the small role of the wife. But she did and on the condition that she wouldn’t take a single penny. The beautiful song Ek pyar ka nagma hai was filmed on her. It was composed by Laxmikant on his son Tikoo’s small harmonium. I tried my best to compensate Nanda for her goodwill but never could. Even today when I look at Nanda’s photograph, my head bows down!

SAIRA BANU

When the script of Purab Aur Paschim was ready the only girl I could only think of was Saira. One day, on meeting Dilip saab I said, “I need your permission. Can Sairaji act in my film?” He patted my cheek, looked straight in my eyes and said, “You are the first person who’s asking me.” This remains an emotional moment between us.  I shot with Saira for a month and then she fell ill and went to London for treatment. She called me to shoot her there after she was better. But her face was swollen with the steroids. I shot all the long shots there, covering her face with her hair. But the close ups were shot later in her Bandra home.  Dilip saab and she make wonderful couple. They often played scrabble and other word building games. When she was sick he looked after her as a child. Today, she takes great care of him.

HEMA MALINI

She is closest to my family. She’d send us idlis and dosas. We’d send across kali dal. We did Sanyasi, Dus Numbri and Kranti together. Once during Kranti, I told her that I wanted to shoot her at the helipad at 5.10 am. I wanted to capture her in a ‘sunrise’ mood, which marked the change in her character. I zoomed at the sun, she looked at it…shot over. She was very happy with the shot and sent across some idlis. On hearing the news of her father’s demise, my wife and I rushed to her house. She was holding his feet and looked at me and said, “Manojji will he never talk to me?” I can never forget that expression.

ZEENAT AMAN

She was a painstaking arstiste. I had four days to shoot her death scene in Roti Kapda Aura Makaan. But she had no idea how to hold the tears in her eyes. So we took 15 days instead. People wrote about her swinging hips in the song Hai hai yeh majboori. It hurts when people don’t understand what the director wants to convey. They didn’t understand the tragedy — that the hero had to go for an interview and couldn’t enjoy the rain.