Dharmendra On Kissing Shabana Azmi In 'Rocky Aur Rani...': 'Ye Mere Baaye Haath Ka Khel Hai'

Rocky Randhawa and Rani Chatterjee have become the talk of the country. The two flamboyant yet culturally disparate characters and their love story has surely touched the nerve of the viewers as their film Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani has successfully crossed the Rs 60 crore mark at the box office. As the Karan Johar directorial continues to marvel everyone with its myriad memorable scenes, the makers on Thursday organised a press conference to mark the success of their film as well as answer some prodding questions too. One such question was posed to Dharmendra about his kissing scene with Shabana Azmi and his answer evoked a raucous laughter and applause from the audience.

In an exclusive News18 Showsha clip, Dharmendra can be seen addressing the simple yet amorous kiss with Shabana Azmi. He said, “Maine sab kuch bata diya hai. Jab captain achcha ho toh tab team khoob khelti hai. Ye insaan saath saal baad aaya hai toh ye apna ‘Jauhar’ dikha ke jayega. Maine jis din ye kahani suni, mujhe laga ye ghar ki kahani hai. Aap kisi bhi character ko pakdo. Ranveer ne jo kia hai, he is a very good actor and a very emotional person. I enjoyed every bit of my time with his unit and aur kya kahu mein, ab toh shehr mein nahi, poori duniya mein charcha hai. Bohot maza aaya. Mujhe logo ke bohot se message aa re hai ki Dharam ji aapne aisa aisa kia toh maine bola yaar ye toh mere baaye haath ka kaam hai.”

For the unversed, apart from the chemistry between the lead pairs Ranveer and Alia, what caught the audience by surprise was a lip-lock sequence between veteran actors Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi. In a particular scene, the two star-crossed lovers meet after years of separation. In the scene, everything around them comes to a standstill as Dharmendra sings the popular retro song Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar and seals their reunion with a passionate kiss.

In an exclusive conversation with News18, Dharmendra opened up about the kissing scene. He said, “I am hearing that Shabana and I have surprised the audience with the kissing scene, and at the same time they have even applauded it. I think people weren’t expecting it and it came very suddenly which is why it created an impact. The last time I did a kissing scene was in Life In A Metro with Nafisa Ali and at that time too people had appreciated it.”

The 87-year-old actor added, “When Karan narrated the scene to us, I did not get excited (laughs). We understood it and I realised that it was something that the film required and wasn’t forcefully put in and I said I will do it. Also, I believe there is no age for romance. Age is just a number and two people irrespective of age will show their love for each other by kissing. Shabana and I both did not feel any kind of awkwardness while doing it as it was very aesthetically shot.”

Talking about the film, Dharmendra said, “I always feel that I could have done better (laughs). But Karan has made a fantastic film and he is such a good director. It was my first collaboration with him and I thoroughly enjoyed it. All the actors have performed really well. Ranveer is terrific and Alia is such a natural actor. Shabana is great in the film and so is Jaya who I always refer to as my Guddi. The film has been released and I hope people go and watch the film in theaters and continue to shower their love.”

After Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, the actor is collaborating again with Johnny Gaddar director Shriram Raghvan for Ekkis, a biopic on a martyred soldier which also features Agastya Nanda. “It’s a beautiful film and I am currently enjoying shooting it. I simply love the camera and always like to be in front of it. I will continue working till my health allows me.”