In a recent interview, actress Shabana Azmi reflected on her past experiences, recalling the challenges she faced while working with actors who were often late.
In Bollywood, it’s common for superstars to be associated with arriving late to film sets or events, but there are a few exceptions who prioritize being on time. In a recent interview, actress Shabana Azmi reflected on her past experiences, recalling the challenges she faced while working with actors who were often late. She noted that the situation has improved in recent years but highlighted how crucial discipline and punctuality remain, even for the industry’s biggest stars.
Talking to Radio Nasha, “We used to work on 12 films simultaneously. I was working in this film Namkeen with Sanjeev Kumar. The shoot of the film took place in Film City, and the shift would start at 7 in the morning, but Sanjeev Kumar never came before 11:30 am. I used to request my mother, ‘Mom, please don’t wake me up so early, the hero never comes on time.”
She further added, “Because she herself was an actress and came from a theatre background, she advised me. ‘Beta, this has nothing to do with you. You have promised your producer to be there at 7, so you should follow that. Even if the shoot doesn’t start.’”
While Rajesh Khanna is often remembered for his starry tantrums and late arrivals, Shabana Azmi reveals that actors like Shatrughan Sinha and Sanjeev Kumar were actually even more infamous for their delays. “Sanjeev Kumar would only come at 11:30 and after shooting four-five shots, I used to rush to Filmistaan. There, for 2-10 shift, Shatrughan Sinha only came in at 7 pm. Comparatively, Rajesh Khanna was better. He was not as bad as Sanjeev and Shatrughan,” said Shabana Azmi.
In these tough moments, the wise counsel of veteran actress Waheeda Rehman provided her with much-needed guidance and support. “I remember the first thing Waheeda Rehman advised me is to learn to be patient. She told me, ‘There will be a lot of waiting, and if you will let your mood spoil due to that, it will reflect in your work.’”
The actress highlighted a few stars who were consistently punctual during that time. She went on to compare Bollywood actors with their Hollywood peers, “Even the biggest of stars can’t afford to be late because that will ruin everybody else’s schedule. They will be judged. Discipline is very important. Now, in Bollywood, I believe that has changed to an extent. Otherwise, back then, Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan were the only two people who were punctual.”
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