Asha Parekh recalls golden days, ‘unique experience’ with late Shammi Kapoor

Mumbai, Nov 29 (IANS) Veteran Bollywood actress Asha Parekha took a trip down memory lane as she recalled working with late star Shammi Kapoor and said that he was more like family to her as she called him “chachu” (uncle).

Talking about Shammi Kapoor, whom she worked with in the 1966 film “Teesri Manzil”, Asha said: “It is difficult to pick a favorite co-star, but working with Shammi Ji was always a unique experience. He was more than just a colleague; he was like family to me, as I fondly called him ‘Chachu.’”

“Naturally, our rapport made working together much easier. His style was so distinctive and the best part was that when a song was being picturised, it felt as if music coursed through his entire body.”

She recalled how they had to choreograph everything themselves.

“We didn’t have a dance master for our sequences at all; we choreographed everything ourselves. He would say, ‘You do this,’ and I would respond, ‘I’ll do that,’ and the steps would just flow seamlessly. His energy was infectious, and that made our performances truly memorable.”

Talking about “Teesri Manzil”, a musical mystery film directed by Vijay Anand. The film also stars Helen, Premnath, Iftekhar and Prem Chopra in supporting roles.

The actress was seen as a guest in the show “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” and A contestant Maharshi Sanat Pandya paid tribute to the golden era of Bollywood by performing the timeless classics “Teri Aankhon Ke Siva” and “Tumne Mujhe Dekha Hokar Meherban”. The contestant left an impact on the actress.

“Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” airs on Zee TV.

Talking about Asha Parekh, she has worked in more than 85 films in a career spanning more than four-decades. She made her debut as a child artist with “Maa” in 1952. The actress was later seen in film such as “Dil Deke Dekho”, “Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai”, “Bharosa”, “Love In Tokyo”, “Do Badan”, “Kati Patang”, “Upkar”, “Caravan”, “Aan Milo Sajna” and “Kaalia”.

–IANS

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