Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 7: As legendary actor Dilip Kumar's 'Ram Aur Shyam' completed 57 years, veteran star Saira Banu said that the film holds a "special" place in her heart and recalled Dilip Kumar's timeless performance in it.
Taking to her Instagram handle, she wrote, "Today, I'm here to talk about a film that holds a truly special place in my heart, one that I find difficult to adequately express. Surprisingly, it's not one of my films; I'm referring to 'Ram Aur Shyam,' a film that left a mark on the industry by introducing the concept of double roles."
Recalling Dilip Kumar's performance in it, she added, "In 'Ram Aur Shyam,' Sahib delivered a legendary portrayal of two characters. As Ram, he embodied innocence and fear towards his brother-in-law Gajendra, portrayed by the legendary Pran Sahab. Conversely, as Shyam, he was fearless and triumphed over Thakur Ganjendra. It was a remarkable feat for one actor to inhabit opposing roles in a single movie, complemented by the stellar performances of Waheeda Aapa and Mumtaz."
The 'Padosan' actor shared that during the shooting of the film she asked veteran actor Nazir Hussain to convey to him that she is "dying to work with him, and if not this, then ask him to marry me!"
"Now, there's an off-screen anecdote that adds to Ram Aur Shyam. During the filming of 'SHAGIRD,' I was shooting the Janmashtami sequence with Nazir Hussain Sahab at Filmistan Studios, a famous character actor and a father figure to me who was also shooting at the same time in Madras with Sahib in 'RAM AUR SHYAM'. Due to date problems, Nazir Sahab would shoot with me late at night and fly in the morning to shoot with Sahib."
"So, while shooting this sequence, I went to Nazir Sahab and with a mischievous smile on my face asked him, "You are working with Dilip Sahib, Oh! You are so lucky enough to be working with him, please tell him that Saira is dying to work with him, and if not this, then ask him to marry me!" Nazir Sahab was dumb-struck and rolled from side to side with the resounding laughter that he was famous for. Nazir Sahab travelled to Madras the next morning and conveyed my message to the Shahenshah. Sahib, I am told, gracefully smiled and acknowledged my cheeky message, to probably cover his embarrassment, although I think you could have knocked him down with a feather," she added.
Saira Banu shared that the movie was released after their marriage and it emerged as a blockbuster movie at the box office.
"And as luck would have it, Sahib and I got married soon after in 1966. Both 'Ram Aur Shyam' and 'Shagird' were the first movies to be released after our marriage and both films were massive hits. 'Ram Aur Shyam,' on the other hand, became one of the iconic films made in Indian Cinema, and the journey has come to 58 years," she concluded.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Saira Banu Khan (@sairabanu)
Directed by Tapi Chanakya, 'Ram Aur Shyam' is a 1967 film, which is a remake of Chanakya's 1964 Telugu film 'Ramudu Bheemudu'. It stars Dilip Kumar in a double role as twin brothers, alongside Waheeda Rehman, Mumtaz, Nirupa Roy, and Pran. The music was composed by Naushad, with lyrics written by Shakeel Badayuni.
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