Mumbai, May 26 (IANS) Veteran actress Mandakini recently took a trip down memory lane as she recalled about the shooting days of her 1986 film ‘Singhasan’.
The actress shared a heartfelt note recalling the grandeur of filmmaking in the 80s and her experience of working alongside legendary stars like Jeetendra, Waheeda Rehman, Jaya Prada and Amjad Khan.
Taking to her social media accounte, Mandakini wrote, “‘Singhasan’ ke shoot ke din aaj bhi yaad hain…
Nature ke beech, colorful costumes, heavy jewellery aur uss zamane ki grand sets ki vibe hi kuch aur thi. Har scene ko itne perfection se shoot kiya jata tha ki kabhi kabhi ek shot ke liye ghanto wait karna padta tha… lekin jab camera roll hota tha, sab kuch magical lagta tha. Set par sab log itne dedicated the ki har scene ko perfect banane ke liye puri team apna best deti thi.”
(I still remember the shooting days of *Singhasan*… Amid nature, colorful costumes, heavy jewellery and the vibe of those grand sets from that era felt truly special. Every scene was shot with so much perfection that sometimes we had to wait for hours for a single shot… but the moment the camera rolled, everything felt magical. Everyone on the set was so dedicated that the entire team gave their best to make every scene perfect)
She added, “Us waqt na VFX ka zamana tha aur na hi shortcuts ka… jo bhi grandeur screen par dikhta tha, woh sab real sets aur hard work ka result hota tha ”
(There was neither the era of VFX nor shortcuts back then… whatever grandeur was visible on screen was purely the result of real sets and hard work)
She further added, “Is film me mere saath Jeetendra ji, Jaya Prada ji, Waheeda Rehman ji, Amjad Khan ji aur kai legendary artists the. Film ko Krishna ji ne direct kiya tha. Us waqt fantasy-action films ka alag hi craze tha aur ‘Singhasan’ bhi unhi grand films me se ek thi.”
(In this film, I worked alongside Jeetendra ji, Jaya Prada ji, Waheeda Rehman ji, Amjad Khan ji and several legendary artistes. The film was directed by Krishna ji. Fantasy-action films had a different craze during that time and *Singhasan* was one of those grand films)
Mandakini also fondly remembered the outdoor shoots and her scenes with Jeetendra. “Mujhe yaad hai outdoor shoots ke waqt hawa me udte flowers aur bright costumes ke saath photos click karna bhi ek alag fun hota tha Aur Jeetendra ji ke saath scenes shoot karte waqt set par hamesha positive energy rehti thi.”
(I remember during outdoor shoots, clicking photos with flowers flying in the air and wearing bright costumes was a different kind of fun And while shooting scenes with Jeetendra ji, there was always a positive energy on the set)
The actress also revealed an interesting fact that *Singhasan* was simultaneously shot in Hindi and Telugu. “Aur ek interesting baat ye bhi thi ki ‘Singhasan’ sirf Hindi me nahi, Telugu language me bhi saath saath shoot ho rahi thi Hindi version me mere opposite Jeetendra ji the aur Telugu version me South ke Superstar Krishna Garu.”
(And one interesting thing was that *Singhasan* was not just being shot in Hindi, but simultaneously in Telugu as well
In the Hindi version, Jeetendra ji was paired opposite me, while in the Telugu version, it was South superstar Krishna Garu”)
She further shared, “Ek hi set par pehle Telugu scenes shoot hote the aur phir wahi setup Hindi ke liye use hota tha. Kabhi kabhi heroes apne shots complete karke chale jaate the aur mujhe dono versions ke liye alag alag scenes aur expressions continue rakhne hote the Sach kahun to us waqt ye kaafi challenging hota tha… lekin actor ke liye wahi moments sabse zyada sikhate bhi hain.”
(On the same set, Telugu scenes were shot first and then the same setup was used for the Hindi version. Sometimes the heroes would complete their shots and leave, and I had to continue performing different scenes and expressions for both versions. Honestly, it used to be quite challenging at that time… but those moments teach an actor the most.)
Talking about Mandakini, the actress is best remembered for her role in Raj Kapoor’s hit movie, ‘Ram Teri Ganga Maili’, which turned her into an overnight sensation. She also featured in films like ‘Dance Dance’, ‘Commando’, ‘Jeete Hain Shaan Se’ and ‘Na-Insaafi’ during the peak of her career.
Talking about the movie, ‘Singhasan’ released in 1986 and was produced and directed by Krishna under the Padmalaya Studios banner.
–IANS
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