When Saif Ali Khan Was ‘Homeless And Penniless’

‘One day, I was working in my office late in the evening when suddenly the peon comes and says Saif Ali Khan has come to meet you.’
‘Saif told me, “I’m desperate. I’ve been thrown out by Sattee Shourie, I’m homeless and penniless. Can you do a film with me?”‘
‘I thought about it and saw him in the character which I was writing. So I gave him a cheque of Rs 5,000 and said, “We’ll work together”.’

IMAGE: Saif Ali Khan and Mamta Kulkarni in Aashik Awara.

Director Umesh Mehra churned out hits with clockwork regularity in the 1980s and 1990s. He bravely switched between genres while helming Akshay Kumar in three Khiladi films and delivering hits with Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Mithun Chakraborty, Hema Malini, Rekha, Zeenat Aman and Raveena Tandon.

Part of a proud filmmaking legacy, Mehra takes a candid look back at his eventful career and analyses his films and the film stars he collaborated with.

“My biggest tension and fear was when I was doing Ashanti. Zeenat, Parveen and Shabana Azmi together. The only discussions on the set before the shoot was, ‘What is she wearing?”, Umesh Mehra tells Dinesh Raheja in the first part of a lively conversation.

You directed 19 films from the 1970s to 2000s. Which film is particularly close to your heart?

My batting average is pretty good — 70 percent — but you have a special place in your heart for your weakest child.

My first film, Hamare Tumhare (1979), got delayed because leading man Sanjeev Kumar had a heart attack midway through the shoot.

Wasn’t its theme similar to Khatta Meetha (1978)?

I would have released before Khatta Meetha. But Haribhai’s heart attack delayed us by six months, and in those six months BasudaChatterji) made Khatta Meetha and released it.

Fortunately, my second film Alibaba Aur 40 Chor (1980) worked big time. Later, with my film Guru (1989) many things went wrong during the pre-release and sabotage happened on the technical side.

Maybe I was getting too big for my boots and people wanted to pull me down.

‘When Rajesh Khanna got down, there was a roar. When Mithun came out, the roar was even bigger’

IMAGE: Mithun Chakraborty in Ashanti.

Having worked with numerous A-list stars, is there any star association that you value?

I would place a lot of value in my association with Mithun (em>Chakraborty) because we did seven films together almost continuously from Ashanti (1982) till Yaar Gaddar (1994).

We shared a great deal of understanding. We became, I would say, good friends. He had complete faith in me. I only had to say, ‘I’m starting a film’ and Mithun was there — no script narrations, no chasing for dates. It’s only after he went away to Ooty that I stopped.

Why didn’t you go to Ooty?

I don’t want to be restricted and shoot my film, start-to-finish, in Ooty.

Mithun laid it down as a strict condition?

Yeah, for a couple of years Mithun didn’t step into Mumbai.

He had started the Monarch Hotel.

He still has it. But it was nothing to do with the hotel. I think there was some mumbo jumbo, I don’t know what it was, but something told him not to come to Mumbai.

I required Mithun for just one remaining shot in Yaar Gaddar so I asked him to come to Mumbai. He was shooting in Chennai and he said, ‘You come here, I’ll give you the full unit.’ I did that. You have to respect somebody’s beliefs. He had his reasons.

What clicked between Mithun and you?

In Ashanti, when he says ‘Teri jaat ka baida maru‘, the theatre exploded. I could sense a star was born.

Mithun came to the Ashanti premiere with Rajesh Khanna in the latter’s Merc. When Kaka got down, there was a roar. When Mithun came out, the roar was even bigger.

Has that happened with other stars?

Jackie (em>Shroff/em>) refused to travel out of Mumbai for Vardi (1989).

Some stars don’t attend mahurats because they are superstitious.

Mithun doesn’t.

‘I was growing up in the lap of stars like Shammi Kapoor’

IMAGE: Hema Malini and Umesh Mehra. Photograph:Kind courtesy Umesh Mehra/Instagram

It has been 20 years since you retired. Are you still in touch with any stars?

Regularly in touch, whenever we meet of course, with Mithun, Zeenat, Poonam, Hemaji. I would drop in quite often to see Dharmendra.

Recently, Sunny (em>Deol) and I have been in touch on and off. Anu Malik and I talk at least twice a week. Nothing to do with work, but just as friends.

Your father F C Mehra was a major film producer. Did you as a child visit the shoots of Professor, Amrapali, Lal Patthar etc and meet Shammi Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Raaj Kumar?

All of them. Visiting shoots would happen regularly. I was literally growing up in the lap of stars like Shammi Kapoor. The stars were Uncle and Auntie to me.

Any memories of Vyjayanthimala while Amrapali was under production?

She was my dad’s rakhi sister, she used to tie a rakhi to him regularly. As a child, I remember her visiting our house very often and later with Dr Bali (her husband).

You told me that Shammi Kapoor was your guru. How did he handle the failure of his directorial ventures Manoranjan (1974) and Bandalbaaz (1976)?

You have to understand that he had been a one-of-a-kind super-duper star, but then, suddenly, he was not wanted by anyone. He had already gone through that failure phase.

What did you learn while assisting Shammi Kapoor?

His energy and the intensity was all there. I was blessed that I was there with him at every step. He would prepare thoroughly before coming on the set, with shot divisions all worked out. I learned that from him — my work for the day is always written down.

‘Anil Kapoor’s girlfriend lived down the road so he would be at my house often’

IMAGE: Sanjeev Kumar and Rakhee in Hamare Tumhare.

When you made your directorial debut with Hamare Tumhare in 1979, how did you rope in Sanjeev Kumar?

I remember I had just got married and, on my way to Kathmandu for my honeymoon, we flew to Delhi where Haribhai was shooting for Trishul. He knew me from Manoranjan in which he was the leading man. He said, ‘Tu jaa apne honeymoon pe, I am doing your film.’

Anil Kapoor made his debut with a small role in Hamare Tumhare. Did you think that one day he would become a big star?

Absolutely not. We have all grown up together; he’s a cousin. His girlfriend, later wife, lived down the road so he would be at my house often when he was courting.

‘I wanted Reena Roy for Zeenat’s role, but she refused’

IMAGE: Zeenat Aman and Hema Malini in the song Saare Shaher Mein Ek Haseen Hai from Alibaba Aur 40 Chor.

In your second film Alibaba Aur 40 Chor (1980), you had two of the biggest actresses of the day, Hema Malini and Zeenat Aman, pitted against each other.

Originally, I wanted Reena Roy for Zeenat’s role, but she refused, saying the role was not that of the leading lady. When I approached Zeenat, she said, ‘Umesh, it won’t harm my career, no?’ I assured her that this was going to be on the next level. And she did the role without further questioning me. We still have a wonderful relationship.

Hema and Zeenat had a song together Saare Shaher Mein Ek Haseen Hai. What were the vibes like?

Hema is a dancer and nobody can match her in steps. Zeenat has oomph value. Even though the costumes were not revealing, she had that natural appeal. There was never any tension.

As a matter of fact, my biggest tension and fear was when I was doing my next, Ashanti (1982), with Zeenat, Parveen Babi and Shabana Azmi together. Rajesh Khanna on the other side. Lethal cocktail.

You had these three non-dancers dancing to Lavangi Mirchi.

Yes, a lavani at that!

What was the atmosphere on the set like with three actresses together?

The only discussions on the set before the shoot was, ‘What is she wearing?’

‘Sridevi could mould herself to any character in a minute’

IMAGE: Sridevi and Mithun Chakraborty in Guru.

Would you like to clarify the kiss controversy from your Guru (1989)? Sridevi denied having kissed Mithun in the film.

There was a big hoo-haa about it. All said and done, the close-up of the two lips meeting was a dupe. The coming close to each other was shot. But everybody knew that this is happening. It’s not that I hid and did it.

How do you look back on the experience of working with Sridevi?

I put Sridevi in the category of super thoroughbred. She could mould herself to any character in a minute.

Your Aashik Awaara (1993) was Saif Ali Khan’s second film. What made you choose him after he had been thrown out of his original debut Bekhudi?

I was scripting Aashiq Awara, but could not figure out the cast. I had met Saif casually at some function with Moon Moon Sen.

One day, I was working in my office late in the evening when suddenly the peon comes and says Saif has come to meet you.

Saif told me, ‘I’m desperate. I’ve been thrown out by Sattee Shourie, I’m homeless and penniless. Can you do a film with me?’

I thought about it and saw him in the character which I was writing. So I gave him a cheque of Rs 5,000 and said, ‘We’ll work together.’

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff