Veteran screenwriter Kamlesh Pandey, in a recent interview, recalled an incident on the sets of Saudagar where Dilip Kumar stayed away from the shoot for three days, pushing director Subhash Ghai to the brink of canceling the film.Talking about the Manali schedule, Kamlesh shared that the unit was fully prepared to shoot a key scene, but Dilip Kumar was not reported to the set.“For three days, even though the entire unit was ready with all the equipment and preparations, Dilip saab didn’t turn up. The first day, he said he was unwell. The next day, Saira Banu said she was unwell,” Kamlesh revealed on The Raavya Sarda Show.
“Subhash Ghai said the film will not be made”
The other day, the delay clearly affected production.“Subhash Ghai was furious. He called his brother Ashok Ghai and said, ‘The booking has been cancelled. We are going back to Mumbai. All tickets booked. Saudagar will not be done.’ Everyone was scared,” he added.Just then Kamlesh came in to talk to Dilip Kumar.
“It’s not easy to get drunk at this age”
When the actor was met at his hotel, Dilip Kumar revealed the real reason behind his absence.“He told me, ‘I have acted drunk in films like Devdas, Sagina and Sunghursh, but that was when I was young. At that age, you have control over your body. If the acting is a little lower, it looks like under-acting; if it goes higher, it becomes over-acting. Maintaining that balance is not easy, especially now,’ recalls Kamlesh.”
‘If I play too much, let me know…’
Dilip Kumar finally agreed to shoot the scene, but with a specific request.“He told me, ‘Don’t tell Subhash Ghai, but you stand behind the camera. If I start doing too much, give me a signal; if I do too little, give me another signal. I will strike a balance accordingly,’” said Kamlesh.The scene was shot, but the legendary actor remained hesitant.
“I never got those 100 rupees”
Kamlesh then made a friendly bet. “I said, ‘If people don’t clap after this scene, I’ll give you 100 rupees. If they do, you’ll give me 100 rupees,'” he shared.The scene eventually received applause, but Kamlesh added, “I have never got Rs 100.”Saudagar also starred Raaj Kumar, Manisha Koirala, Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher and Jackie Shroff among others.
