A click with stardom

My online lesson on Shakespeare meandered into Bollywood

My student Prem, whom I teach online, lives in London and likes Hindi movies. When I explained that Macbeth, in the play of that title, contravenes a code of conduct by killing his guest, Prem pointed out that, in Padmaavat, a ruler refrains from harming an enemy under his roof. He went on to ask if I had seen Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh in person, or any of the Bollywood celebrities immortalised at Madame Tussaad’s wax museum.

I told Prem that, of those famous figures, I had only met Amitabh Bachchan. It was over five decades ago, at the premiere of Anand. I had hoped to catch a glimpse of Rajesh Khanna but missed him. He proved equally elusive at Vauhini Studios, Madras (now Chennai), during the shooting of Haathi Mere Saathi. Elephants were endearingly approachable, and so was Sujit Kumar, who chatted pleasantly. I was not unduly disappointed. I had tracked down Rajesh Khanna before he attained superstar status, and my brother and I were photographed with him.

After my offbeat class with Prem, I travelled back in memory to my autograph-hunting days. In 1971, a classmate and I interviewed Sunil Dutt for our college magazine. As we discussed new-wave cinema and his recently released production, Reshma Aur Shera, Nargis served us tea and cakes and introduced Sanjay and his sisters.

I was not always welcomed so warmly. Indeed, it was often difficult to gain access to film folk. One morning, my brother, cousins, and I set off to the Oberoi Intercontinental in New Delhi. Scampering past the curious receptionist, we took the lift to a certain suite. Hema Malini shines brightly in my recollection. Her luminous complexion was devoid of make-up, and her lustrous locks hung loose. Clad in a shimmering blue silk sari, she greeted us graciously.

That magical moment was marred by her father. “Sign their books quickly and send them away,” he told his daughter in Tamil, unaware that we understood him perfectly. Looking back, I wish we had surprised him by conversing in that language.

I could tell Prem about these exciting encounters and others with Sadhana, Asha Parekh, Waheeda Rehman, Jeetendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Rajendra Kumar and the great Prithviraj Kapoor. The youngster is unlikely, however, to be familiar with the talented titans of my generation. Besides, my weekly sessions with Prem should focus on Shakespeare, not showbiz!