Exclusive! Dilip Kumar equated Aamir Khan-Karisma Kapoor’s kiss in ‘Raja Hindustani’ to his feather caressing scene with Madhubala in ‘Mughal-E-Azam’ – Times of India

Aamir Khan-Karisma Kapoor’s stormy kiss from ‘Raja Hindustani’ cannot be erased from one’s memory. It came as a jolt as it was very bold move in the mid 90s, for two big stars to have such a deeply intimate kiss, which also was very long. Last week, ‘Raja Hindustani’ completed 24 years and we happened to have a chat with the film’s director Dharmesh Darshan, who was extremely frank and forthcoming. There’s a lot in this interview below that will clear all the unconfirmed reports about that kissing scene, plus Dharmesh also spoke on many other aspects of his career- his unforgettable ‘Dhadkan’ and why he refused to make its second part, his issues with brother Suneel and the lacunae in today’s cinema and web shows. Excerpts from our conversation:

Let’s begin by asking you about that long, steamy kiss between Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor in ‘Raja Hindustani’. How much time did it take you to shoot it?
Well, it was a long sequence and we consumed 2-3 days.

Was the kiss a part of the script?
Of course, it was. That implies that they were both aware that they have to shoot the scene in question. You can’t make two big stars do whatever you want unless they are very comfortable with each other. Such scenes are not shot at gun point. The stars also need to trust their director, which they did. We all three were on the same page. Karisma and Aamir were absolutely comfortable about the kiss.

Did they rush to the monitor, every now and then, to see it?
There was no question of checking also as to how it had been shot. We were shooting outdoors in conditions where I don’t think the application of the monitor, even if it was there, could have been implemented.

Were there retakes?
No retakes per se because of imperfection. But since we shot the scene from various angles, yes, they had to kiss not just once. It was a very sensuous kiss as it suddenly happens between two young people when there’s a storm; soft initially and aggressive as it proceeds when memories come rushing to Karisma. It was definitely not a peck on the cheek or a kiss in the garden. In fact, it was the turning point of the film. I had read the novel ‘A Passage to India’ by EM Foster. In that there’s a point when something happens to the heroine in a cave and she comes out running. That extract was playing on my mind when I conceived the Aamir-Karisma kiss. I don’t have a holier-than-thou attitude in life. Even if it is a making out scene between two people, I would not hesitate to include such a scene if it is essential in the film.

Reportedly, Karisma was upset for 3 days after that…
What! Such reports were just balderdash. She won the Best Actress Award and she’s very proud of the film (pauses).

Please continue…
Also, let me tell you that if I wanted the kiss to be more sexy and less sensitive, I would have changed the background music which in turn would have changed the narrative of the kiss. The background music in the scene was extremely soft. The interesting information here is that I used that same background music to make the theme song of ‘Dhadkan’. And more interestingly, I had hummed that tune to Aamir and told him I shall use it for that scene. But I did not. When he saw the final draft of the film, he pointed it out. He was seeing it a year after shooting the kissing scene and yet he remembered! He said the tune I had hummed was beautiful and thus far better. So I went back and incorporated my hummed tune.

There were no catcalls, in fact there was pindrop silence at the time of the kissing scene in the theatre when the film released; I myself was witness to the quietness when I had gone to see it. I was wondering if that meant there was no response. But something happened after 5 minutes, when the ‘Pardesi jaana nahin’ song came. People started clapping throughout the song. I stood validated. It meant that nobody had felt embarrassed about the kiss and their relationship that had developed in the story. It is known that I edited the length of the kiss a bit but trust me, it wasn’t because of any objection from the Censor Board led by Shakti Samanta. Many writers abroad rate the ‘Raja Hindustani’ kiss to be either the best or among the best. Even Mr Dilip Kumar complimented me; Dilip saab was my father’s colleague. He equated the Aamir Khan-Karisma Kapoor kiss in ‘Raja Hindustani’ to his feather caressing scene with Madhubala in ‘Mughal-E-Azam’. He said it was a tender scene which was gently and wonderfully handled. I felt good about Dilip saab’s praise.

Would you say that you opened the gates to kissing on the lips onscreen which became fast common after ‘Raja Hindustani’?
Yes, I think I did. But I didn’t see it to be a turning point in any film. At times, it looked even unjustified. Even today, sometimes it looks forced. And one of the reasons why this is happening could be because the songs are very rough and not romantic and melodious. You need good music for good romance.

Can I ask you why you stopped making films?
One day, my mother suddenly passed away. She was 69. Two years later, my dad expired. My world fell apart. Alongside, the system was changing. The corporates were coming in. The stars had to be chased. I asked myself why can’t I take a break. I had made sufficient hit films. Besides, I guess I can return when I want.

Reportedly, you were asked to direct ‘Dhadkan 2’. What happened?
Ratan Jain (producer) wanted to do it, he was very keen. But I don’t think well-made films like ‘Dhadkan’ should be tampered or extended. I didn’t feel comfortable doing its second part just to milk the original title.

Are you in touch with the actors you cast?
My relationship with them was only work-oriented.

You and your brother Suneel Darshan made ‘Lootere’ together, but after that you’ll never worked together….

Yes, we did only one film together. ‘Lootere’ was my directorial debut. No major differences, but we parted ways professionally.

Are you in touch with each other?
Our parents are no more. So you know how it is.

There’s hardly any contact, you mean…
Yeah.