Only Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor were punctual – Shabana Azmi
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi recently reminisced about the Bollywood of yesteryears, highlighting how punctuality was a rare trait among male superstars. During an interview with Radio Nasha, she revealed that while tardiness was common, only Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor consistently honoured call times.
Azmi recounted her experiences working on films like Namkeen, where her co-star Sanjeev Kumar routinely showed up hours late. She said, “Our shift started at 7 am, but Sanjeev Kumar would never arrive before 11:30 am. I often pleaded with my mother not to wake me early, knowing the hero would be late.”
Her mother, who came from a disciplined theatre background, gave her invaluable advice: “Beta, this has nothing to do with you. You promised your producer to be there at 7, so honour that commitment.” This piece of wisdom shaped Shabana’s work ethic, even as she navigated a hectic schedule across multiple film sets.
“After waiting for hours at Film City, I would rush to Filmistaan for another shift, only to find Shatrughan Sinha arriving at 7 pm for a 2 pm schedule,” she shared. “Compared to them, Rajesh Khanna was better. He wasn’t as punctual as Amitabh or Shashi but definitely more reliable than Sanjeev and Shatrughan.”
Azmi also reflected on how this tardiness affected her mood and performance until veteran actor Waheeda Rehman offered her valuable guidance: “Learn to be patient. Waiting is inevitable, and if it spoils your mood, it will show in your work.”
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Drawing comparisons to Hollywood, Azmi highlighted the stark difference in discipline: “There, even the biggest stars adhere to schedules because being late disrupts everyone’s work and leads to judgment. Discipline is key.”
Thankfully, Azmi believes that Bollywood has evolved, with punctuality becoming more common. “Now, the industry has improved in this regard, but back then, Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor were the only exceptions,” she noted.
Shabana Azmi’s anecdotes provide a fascinating glimpse into the work culture of Bollywood’s golden era and underline the importance of professionalism and discipline in any industry.
Written by Sakinat Musa Abubakar, Editor at Neptune Prime
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