Superstars in Bollywood usually have the reputation of being late on a film set or for any event. There are very few stars who prefer being punctual. In a recent interview Shabana Azmi has recalled her experiences and the tough time she had while shooting with heroes who were always so late. While the actress said that things have changed now, she emphasised on the importance of being disciplined, for the biggest of stars.
“We used to work on 12 films simultaneously. I was working in this film Namkeen with Sanjeev Kumar. The shoot of the film took place in Film City, and the shift would start at 7 in the morning, but Sanjeev Kumar never came before 11:30 am. I used to request my mother, ‘Mom, please don’t wake me up so early, the hero never comes on time,” she said in an interview with Radio Nasha.
The actress added, “Because she herself was an actress and came from theatre background, she advised me. ‘Beta, this has nothing to do with you. You have promised your producer to be there at 7, so you should follow that. Even if the shoot doesn’t start.’”
While people think that Rajesh Khanna had starry tantrums and always came late, Azmi feels that Shatrughan Sinha and Sanjeev Kumar were worse. “Sanjeev Kumar would only come at 11:30 and after shooting four-five shots, I used to rush to Filmistaan. There, for 2-10 shift, Shatrughan Sinha only came in at 7 pm. Comparatively, Rajesh Khanna was better. He was not as bad as Sanjeev and Shatrughan.”
It’s during these times that an advice from a senior star like Waheeda Rehman helped her. “I remember the first thing Waheeda Rehman advised me is to learn to be patient. She told me, ‘There will be a lot of waiting, and if you will let your mood spoil due to that, it will reflect in your work.’”
The actress took the names of stars who were punctual in those times. She further compared Hindi cinema actors with Hollywood stars and said, “Even the biggest of stars can’t afford to be late because that will ruin everybody else’s schedule. They will be judged. Discipline is very important. Now, in Bollywood, I believe that has changed to an extent. Otherwise, back then, Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan were the only two people who were punctual.”
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