Shooting stars

Black and white images reveal the colourful personalities of beloved actors in an age of cinematic glory

As the editor of Movie magazine (1988-1999), I rubbed shoulders with the best shutterbugs in showbiz, including Gautam Rajadhyaksha, Jagdish Mali and Rakesh Shrestha. I conceptualised my cover shoots and collaborated with the photographer and designer to achieve the desired outcome.

I would like to believe that the bedrock for this was laid by my earlier stint as a photojournalist. In 1985, armed with a

Nikon camera, I ventured into photojournalism to supplement my modest salary and capture film celebrities not just in words but also in images. (Clockwise from top) Dimple at the lawns of Sun N Sand Hotel; Sridevi in 1988 during the shoot of Chandni; Chunky Panday gives an impromptu shot; Salman Khan at Natraj Studios in the late 1980s; and Rakhee looks natural in this picture shot at her Aptegaon farmhouse

Dimple and Jackie were my favourite muses but I shot almost everyone: Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor, Meenakshi Seshadri, Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir and Salman Khan...

Here, I share some black and white images and colourful memories of a glorious cinematic era.

“DIMPLE HAD A CRACKLING SENSE OF HUMOUR. SHE NICKNAMED ME MR WALRUS DUE TO MY MOUSTACHE"

Dimple Kapadia "You are Mr Walrus"

I clicked this picture of the gorgeous, auburnhaired Dimple Kapadia in 1986 on the lawns of Hotel Sun N Sand. She was shooting for Insaaf, her first hit after a 10-year break for marriage and babies.

Dimple had a crackling sense of humour. She nicknamed me Mr Walrus as I had a thick moustache that drooped unevenly on both sides.

Dimple had an insubstantial role in Ram Lakhan, and she was badgered by the press for an explanation. She asked me to think of something witty. I joked, “Say you were paid six lakhs to throw your hair about in the film.” We laughed; and I forgot about it. When I met her next, she guffawed, “That quote has made it to the cover of a magazine!”

Sridevi Child-like, but not childish

This picture of Sridevi was shot in 1988 at a suburban studio during the shooting of Yash Chopra’s Chandni. I was a rookie journalist when I was first introduced to an unsure newcomer named Sridevi. Six years later, when I became the editor of Movie magazine, that gawky girl too had metamorphosed into a self-assured megastar. I wanted my first cover to be a standout, so I decided to bring Sridevi and Aamir Khan together. During the shoot, Aamir whispered to me, “She looks taller than me.” Sridevi overheard and quietly flung away her heeled shoes.

Sridevi could be child-like, not childish. Once, as my reporter interviewed Sridevi in my presence, the actress turned to me and whispered, “She asked me to comment on the changing face of Mumbai. How can a city have a face?”

Chunky Panday No Holds ‘bar’-red

Chunky Panday was always a sport — he took my cue and responded to my shout so I could get an aerial shot of him from the first floor.

Chunky’s birthday parties at his lavish Bandra pad were legend. He was very popular amongst Bollywood stars. He would take me aside and jocularly whisper, “Come, I will tell you which of the Bacardi bottles at the bar is genuine.”

Rakhee Why she never eats at 5-star hotels

I shot this picture of the hazel-eyed beauty Rakhee in 1988 at her Aptegaon farmhouse. I was wary of the famously whimsical actress and Jagdish Mali bluntly introduced me with, “Rakheeji, Dinesh is afraid of you.” She impishly asked me, “Main tumko kha jaaungi?” Instead, I was the one feasting as Rakhee cooked spicy biryani and delicious Bengali-style fish curry for the entire unit.

Small talk reveals more about stars than recorded interviews. In the post-lunch break, Rakhee told me that she never eats at five-star hotels because she wasn't comfortable with a fork and knife. “I starve at parties; I order room service when I am at location shootings.” (Right) Shatrughan Sinha with his twin sons, Luv and Kush; (below) Aamir Khan posing by the swimming pool at Sea Rock Hotel in 1980

Karma. When Jackie saw me clicking away, he jocularly commented, “Kya bhiddu, ab yeh dukaan (photography) bhi khol diya?” In his pre-stardom days, Jackie would borrow a bike from our common friend, Ramesh Patel and sometimes join us in the Sunday gully cricket.

Jackie calls me “purana chawal” whenever we meet. His explanation: “Chawal jitna purana, utna achcha.”

Rishi Kapoor The genial grump

This shot of Rishi Kapoor was lit for colour cinematography as per Yash Chopra’s instructions for Chandni, but I captured it in my favourite medium, black and white, taking full advantage of the chiaroscuro lighting.

When I first interviewed Rishi, I thought of him as a bear with a sore paw. I was penning a posthumous tribute to Raj Kapoor, and Rishi was disgruntled and unwilling. When he relented, he started speaking beautifully. He was dubbing at Ketnav, a stone’s throw from his Pali Hill bungalow and suggested we complete the interview there over lunch. Halfway home, he casually asked if I had a vehicle. When I said I had my motorbike, he glared at me, “Then why are we walking?” At home, he ate a salad only to follow it with a full meal! He said wryly, “The salad was to make Neetu happy.”

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Dinesh Raheja is a reputed film historian, columnist and TV scriptwriter who has been writing on cinema for over three decades

When my grandmother passed a couple of years ago, I hit something beyond rock bottom. I was devastated but wanted to stay strong for my mother.

Times are a-changin

So, I turned to celebrating my grandmother’s life instead. I danced to her favourite songs, something that had been a ritual since I was three, and cooked her favourite foods.

Over the years, I’ve started celebrating Achuchung’s life on his birth and death anniversaries, complete with his favourite drink, cake, dish and some harmless pranks on people, because that’s who he was in a nutshell: the life of the party. So, when I recently came across Chef Radhika Khandelwal’s multiple tributes to her late employee Vinod Paul, uploading videos of him dancing, I was reminded of how we can make the passing of someone more than just that.

Chef Radhika met Vinod 13-14 years ago when she was visiting Delhi while based in Australia. She had immediately decided that if she ever opened a restaurant, she would hire him. So, in 2015, when she opened Ivy & Bean in Delhi, Vinod was her first employee. He was a part of Fig & Maple’s opening and conception team too. His jolly nature made him the guests’ favourite.

Apt dedication

“He was no less than a celebrity. Everyone has anecdotes about him,” says the chef and co-owner of Fig & Maple, as she takes a minute to gather herself.

“He was the pulse of Fig & Maple, so how can I not celebrate someone who was the heart of the space?” Radhika questions.

She hasn’t gone through the grieving process yet, being too tied up with the hundreds of meals she’s sending across to Delhi’s crematoriums.

But she is planning to name a dish after him — his favourite from their staff meals (after fine-tuning it a tad) — as well as a mimosa, his favourite drink. karishma.kuenzang@hindustantimes.com Follow @kkuenzang on Twitter

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{ This or that? }

Shopping destinations or adventure?

Shopping destinations. I’m clear my trip is to either a scenically beautiful or architecturally grand place or a shopping destination like Paris or Milan.

Accept destiny or try change destiny?

I accept my destiny but that doesn’t mean I don’t work towards what I want. If I get it, great; if I don’t, I don’t wallow. I tell myself there is something better.

Minimalist bedside table or clutter?

My bedside table is messy but has everything I need — lip balm to hand moisturizer, headphones and the script of the film I’m working on.