The kiss of Dev: Not just for the heck of

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sheetal

@sheetald

Rocker

Posted: 20 years ago

Dev Anand and Khursheed Khurody

Dev Anand's latest film, Mr Prime Minister is not making news; but his lip-lock scenes with foreign actress, Khursheed Khurody, sure are. What's unsettling is that the 82-year-old legend has jumped onto the bandwagon of the umpteen kissers in Hindi films.

Lets try anything that will make the film work, seems to be the mantra However, Anand says, "I have not received any reactions to the kisses, as yet. In the first place, they are not lingering kisses. Why is there so much hue and cry about it?"

Very Natural

Anand justifies his kisses with Khursheed as a very natural thing to have happened in the film. "I play Khursheed's husband. She is a foreigner and I am a modern man. We have been separated for a long time. When we meet after a long gap, a kiss or two is bound to happen. In fact, people should have been questioning me if a kiss hadn't happened. Yeh to ulta ho raha hai."

Allow kar rahe hain

This has been the first time that Anand has kissed on screen, and he is not coy about it. "I go by realism. The situation demanded that we kiss, so we did it. The kiss was not inserted just for the heck of it," and adds, "But yes, if I had made Mr Prime Minister some years ago, I could not have incorporated a kiss because the censors never allowed, aaj kal khair allow kar rahe hain."

Only two retakes

Neither Anand nor Khursheed were uncomfortable during the take. "The kisses required only two retakes, that too simply due to the cameraman's blemish. I am never uncomfortable while performing any scene whatsoever. Khursheed had no qualms either, otherwise I would have definitely been able to convince her."

Anand says he might do more kissing scenes in his forthcoming films. "As I said, I go by realism. I will definitely kiss agar zaroorat hai, varna nahin."

Khursheed Khurody has her say

Something about yourself?
I was born in Mumbai to a Parsee family. Soon, my parents left India for England. I grew up there and then I went to the US for my Ph D in Harvard University. I returned to India as my parents were back here by that time, sometime later I lost my mom due to cancer.

How did you get into films?
People used to tell me that I should start modelling. I did the Benadryl ad, followed by a Pepsi ad with Shah Rukh and Saif. Then, I played the pianist in Black, the one who gets on the piano when Nandana Sen is getting married and Rani is distraught.

How did Mr Prime Minister happen?
Someone told me that I should meet Dev Saab. I casually went to his office, though of course, with an appointment. Seeing me, he said that I had the face he was waiting for. He was trying to get an Italian actress with the help of the Consulates, but I guess, that was taking too long as it required lots of paper work with bureaucrats.

Tell us about the kiss you had with Anand.
Am I the first person to have kissed Dev Anand on screen?

Yes?
Are you serious? I think you are kidding. Dev Saab is a very charming, articulate and well-read man. He is so mentally agile and witty.

Were you uncomfortable while kissing him?
Not at all. Before the scene, he took me aside and explained the scene in detail. He told me that since the husband and wife were meeting after a long period, the kiss was something inevitable. I totally agreed.

And the second kiss in the song soon thereafter?
Oh, that was just a peck on the lips. Only the first kiss, which happens at the airport where I receive him, can be called a kiss in real sense.

What next?
I am doing a film directed by Anzaar Haque where I play a Brahmin teacher who has returned from England. The film also has Om Puri and Gulshan Grover.