Rajesh Khanna is also known as the ‘first superstar of Hindi cinema’ and his level of popularity is unmatched. He had a huge fan following and defined an era in the film industry. But, recently, Shabana Azmi, who worked with him in the 1983 film Avatar, recalled her experience of working with him under challenging circumstances, where he faced the same difficulties as others and he Did not take advantage of ‘stardom’.
In a candid interview with Radio Nasha, veteran actress Shabana Azmi recalled the challenging times of shooting for the popular song Chalo Bulaawa Aaya Hai from her 1983 film Avtaar, which has carved a special place in the hearts of Vaishno Devi temple devotees. .
The actress told that at that time this place was not much developed. Hence, the cast including lead actor Rajesh Khanna shot in the tough conditions without any complaints.
The Neerja actress told that for the shooting of the film, the actors had to travel on foot to the temple located at a high altitude. At that time modern facilities like helicopter service were not available. Moreover, since it was located in Jammu and Kashmir, the cold weather and lack of other facilities made it difficult for them.
“Shooting ‘Chalo Bulaawa Aaya Hai’ for Avatar was full of difficulties. In those days, there was no helicopter service, so we had to trek to reach the temple. There were no toilets on the way. It was an extremely difficult situation ,” she told.
He asked the host if he could imagine a superstar like Rajesh Khanna lining up with ‘Dalda Dabba’ and shooting in the cold weather. Shabana said her team slept on the floor in Dharamshala, and even 12 layers of blankets were not enough to protect them from the cold, yet they all did their job.
Highlighting the Anand actor’s down-to-earth nature and commitment to work despite difficult circumstances, he said, “At that time, Rajesh Khanna could not say, ‘I am a superstar.’ We all did it with emotion.”
For those unaware, this film played an important role in reviving Khanna’s career after his career graph went down in the late 1970s. This paved the way for him to regain his stardom as he got hit films like Sautan and Agar Tum Na Hote.
Shabana Azmi has often shared a close friendship with Khanna and the two worked together in seven films and entertained the audience with their camaraderie.
Also read: Shabana Azmi finds it ‘difficult’ to accept that she can’t have kids with Javed Akhtar: ‘Society makes you feel incomplete’
