Saira Banu

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Padosan

Nov 29, 2023: The Indian Express

1968 film Padosan, starring Saira Banu, Sunil Dutt, Mehmood, Kishore Kumar, Om Prakash, Mukri and Keshto Mukherjee, among others, is still considered one of the finest comedies of Hindi cinema. However, its inception happened when Saira had married Dilip Kumar and was no longer interested in doing films. But it was actor-producer Mehmood’s persistence that she agreed. This also involved a funny encounter between Mehmood and Dilip.

Saira Banu wrote, “We are talking about one of the most favourite films of my career, mine, and the public in general. It is ‘PADOSAN’, a film for all occasions and ages. I am glad that I did this because I had refused any work soon after my marriage. It was understood that I would not be carrying on with a professional career. It was then that Mehmood Bhai as he had earlier approached me for this film came running to Sahib, hugged him close, and kept saying in a rhetorical tone ‘Yousuf Bhai you have to let Saira do this film for me. I will not let go of you until you say yes please please’, Sahab was tickled to the bone and kept repeating laughingly ‘Mehmood it is entirely up to Saira, You have to convince her. You have my absolute permission.”

Saira Banu, now 79, revealed that Mehmood even shifted the base of the shooting to Madras (now Chennai) for the sake of keeping Dilip Kumar and his wife close to each other.

“At that time everyone knew that Sahib had shifted his venue of shooting to the South and Mehmood very considerately committed to Sahib that he would shoot the film in Madras with me to facilitate Sahib and I being together. This was the “Cherry on the Cake” and I said Yes to ‘PADOSAN”. I am glad that unlike the dozens of films that I let go of “PADOSAN” and “PURAB AUR PASCHIM”, were not one of them,” she wrote.

Saira Banu further shared anecdotes from the shoot of Padosan. She wrote, “Mehmood Bhai shared scenes from the Tamil version of “PADOSAN,” and I laughed my guts out. We started shooting in Madras, and goodness it was a gathering of comedians, creating history with this film. The cast was so perfectly chosen that even I was initially surprised to see Dutt Saab as a simpleton “Gaonwalla”, I mean who could have imagined it? Dutt Saab would humorously say, “Sairaji Yeh Kyaa Hain, Yeh Hum Kyaa Kar Rahein Hain? Hamein Toh ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’ May Kaam Karna Chahiye, Something Romantic and Glamorous.”

The actor added, “Until “PADOSAN,” I hadn’t worked with Dutt Saab, who turned out to be lively and funny. On the contrary, Kishore ji was a very subdued gentlemanly star who would get up from his seat respectfully as soon as any Lady walked in. The shooting was a killer. I used to laugh uncontrollably so much that the Unit would turn off all the lights and say “Ruk Jao, Abhi Madam Hass Rahin Hain”. It was that difficult for me to stop. Later, I will be sharing anecdotes about PADOSAN that are both funny and interesting.”