Veteran actress Bindu stopped the shooting of Yash Chopra’s film Joshila for two hours after she was asked to wear a bikini without prior notice. She also recalled how Sanjeev Kumar took pains to call her ‘Maa’ in Arjun Pandit, after he spent the morning shooting romantic scenes with her for another film.
Veteran actress Bindu recently spoke about an interesting incident that happened on the sets of Yash Chopra’s film ‘Joshila’, where she refused to wear a bikini and stopped the shoot for almost two hours. She said that no one told her about the costume before filming, which is why she refused to wear it.
She also shared a funny story about Sanjeev Kumar, who found it very difficult to call her ‘Maa’ on the sets of Arjun Pandit, because the two were shooting romantic scenes together for another film earlier in the day.
Bindu was surprised in a bikini on the sets of ‘Joshila’.
In conversation with Vicky Lalwani, Bindu took a trip down memory lane and shared some memorable stories from her years in the film industry, giving fans a peek into the warmth and work ethic that defined Indian cinema in the 1970s.
One incident that stood out was on the sets of ‘Joshila’, where Bindu was caught off guard when she arrived and was handed a bikini to wear in a scene without any prior warning.
“I stopped shooting for two hours because I wasn’t ready to wear a proper bikini. A bikini is a bikini. I said to Yash ji: Please… you didn’t tell me about this before.” I didn’t know about it until I got to the set.”
Bindu names her fashion designer Dev Anand He waits quietly
The actress revealed that she immediately summoned her costume designer to the set while the rest of the cast and crew had no choice but to wait.
It was Yash Chopra himself who eventually stepped in to find a compromise and make everyone feel comfortable. “Then Yash ji said: ‘Stay inside the water as much as possible. We will shoot this way and take side and background shots only.’ Poor Dev Anand ji sat there quietly and didn’t say anything.
Filming remained suspended for approximately two hours. I kept wondering what he must be thinking. But Yash ji reassured me, saying, “We will manage.”
Don’t worry.'”
How Yash Chopra made Bindu comfortable on the sets of ‘Joshila’.
Instead of pressuring Bindu to stick to the original plan, Yash Chopra showed great sensitivity and recreated the scene in a way that made her feel comfortable and reassured. “They put me in the water, took pictures from there, and then shot only the side and back. After that, I asked cinematographer Vali Mistry what it looked like. He said, ‘Don’t worry, you look good, not vulgar.’ As soon as Vali ji said that, I felt reassured.”
Released in 1973, Joshila was a star-studded film that featured Dev Anand, Hema Malini, Raakhee and Bindu, with Dev Anand facing the challenge of playing a dual role.
The film continues to be fondly remembered for its memorable music and powerful performances.
Bindu and Sanjeev Kumar’s funny day in both shifts
She also shared a funny story related to Sanjeev Kumar which happened when the two were shooting for two different films on the same day. She explained that her morning shift, which ran from 7am to 2pm, was for a movie in which she and Sanjeev Kumar were shooting a romantic song together.
“We were shooting a song where I was trying to seduce Sanjeev Kumar.” Once this schedule was completed at Filmistan Studios, both the actors made their way to Mohan Studios to begin the evening shoot of Arjun Pandit.
Bindu recalls how Sanjeev Kumar struggled to call her ‘Maa’ in ‘Arjun Pandit’
In Arjun Pandit, Bindu played Ashok Kumar’s wife, and Sanjeev Kumar’s character had to call Ashok Kumar ‘Babuji’ and Bindu ‘Ma’. But after spending the whole morning shooting romantic scenes with Bindu, Sanjeev Kumar found it very difficult to make the switch.
“I changed my clothes into a simple white saree with no makeup. In the scene, he had to call Ashok Kumar ‘Bapuji’ and call me ‘Maa’. He came in, laughed and then walked out because the word ‘Maa’ didn’t come up.”
” exit
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
She noticed something was wrong and asked Sanjeev Kumar what the problem was. His answer made everyone in the group burst out laughing. “From 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., she was seducing me, and now she’s asking me to call her ‘mom’?” Bindu said that Sanjeev Kumar managed to say the line in the end, and once the take was completed, the entire crew couldn’t stop laughing.