Meenakshi Seshadri revisits ‘Shahenshah’ memories, recalls India’s first hot air balloon song shoot with Amitabh Bachchan
Mumbai, July 30 (IANS) Veteran actress Meenakshi Seshadri took a nostalgic trip down memory lane as she revisited her experience of shooting the iconic song ‘Jaane Do Mujhe Jaana Hai’ from the 1988 film “Shahenshah” with megastar Amitabh Bachchan.
During her appearance on “India’s Best Dancer Season 5,” the ‘Damini’ actress revealed that the song featured what she described as India’s first hot air balloon song sequence. She shared that shooting the track while being up in a balloon with Amitabh was a memorable and challenging experience. The actress also spoke about working with the ‘Sholay’ actor for the first time.
She praised his dedication towards rehearsals and retakes. She shared that she learned a lot from the legendary actor during the making of the film.
Meenakshi recalled, “I think uss film mein pehli baar hot air gas balloon ki shooting hui thi in India. I think that was the first time. Aur ek balloon mein chadh ke iss gaane ki picturisation karna it was apne aap mein a huge thing and that too it was just Amit ji and me on that balloon. Shahenshah was my first film with Amitabh Bachchan ji and I am sure Jaya ji will vouch for this fact ki woh rehearsal mein bahut vishwas rakhte hain. Rehearse more and more, and gets better with every rehearsal, with every retake. Aur main with every rehearsal and retake, I would get worse. So I finally had to request him to go for the first take. Bahut kuch seekha maine unse uss film ke dauraan. And it was my good luck ki mujhe apne career mein itne jaldi mein itne acche mahan kalakaar ke saath kaam karne ka mauka mila.”
(I think that film marked the very first time a hot air gas balloon was used for a shoot in India. Picturizing a song up in a balloon was a huge feat in itself, and on top of that, it was just Amit ji and me up there. Shahenshah was my first film with Amitabh Bachchan ji, and I am sure Jaya ji will vouch for the fact that he believes deeply in rehearsals. He rehearses more and more, getting better with every single rehearsal and retake. On the other hand, with every rehearsal and retake, I would actually get worse! So I finally had to request him to just go with the first take. I learned so much from him during that film, and it was truly my good fortune to get an opportunity to work with such a legendary artist so early in my career.)
In an upcoming episode of “India’s Best Dancer Season 5,” legendary actresses Meenakshi Seshadri and Jaya Prada will grace the stage. Contestant Dipali and choreographer Tushar delivered an exceptional India Wala Dance performance on the iconic track ‘Jaane Do Mujhe Jaana Hai’ from the blockbuster film “Shahenshah.”
Impressed by their creative interpretation of the song, Meenakshi applauded Dipali and Tushar’s performance and recalled her experience of shooting the iconic dance track with Amitabh Bachchan.
–IANS
ps/
