Sharmila Tagore is overwhelmed as film completes 50 years and says, “I think it’s wonderful that it’s now 50 years since we made Daag, yet the movie and the songs remain so popular. In fact, recently Manoj Bajpayee (I made Gulmohar with him) was constantly singing Ek Chehre Pe Dusre Chehre Laga Dete Hai Log. I had to tell him please don’t sing it. My reaction when I was offered Daag was an unparalleled joy, really. I saw it as a great compliment and honour to be a part of Yash’s first venture, his debut as a producer. I was absolutely thrilled.”
She recalled memories with producer-director Yash Chopra and shared, “Working in Daag was a wonderful experience. Actually working with Yash – even when I worked with him in Waqt was a wonderful experience. He was always so much fun. As a director, he energised everyone on the set. Ask anybody who has worked with him, with his Punjabi endearments and just generally he was like a live wire. We shot in such beautiful locations when we were working for Daag. We were shooting in Shimla one day and I woke up to a landscape covered in snow; a stunning view from my hotel window but that also meant that I had to walk to work as no car could come to us through the snow; I remember that I would get ready in make up-hair and everything and barely walk 5 steps when something had hit me really really hard and it was a snowball.” The actress laughed and further added, “I turned around to protest, I found a bunch of giggly girls and they said ‘Yeh toh hamara khel hai, hum toh khelenge’. I tried to explain to them but they wouldn’t listen (laughs). And I had to walk the distance to the location which was thankfully not too far being constantly hit with snowballs”
‘Daag’ gave us the iconic pair of Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila and such on-screen pairings have been hard to replicate. “I think Kaka gave a memorable performance in Daag and he looked really really gorgeous in his later avatar as Rakhee’s husband with that moustache and that dashing look ..so you know he played 2 different stages in his life and he already was the heartthrob of the nation and he was very good. I am really very grateful and happy that the audience liked Kaka and I working together and we became a hit pair and I think we made some great films together – Daag of course being one of them and even today they talk about our pair! I’m very grateful,” says the actress.
Tagore was recently seen in ‘Gulmohar’ after 12 years, which starred Bajpayee, Suraj Sharma, Amol Palekar, among others.
