As Rishi Kapoor shares screen space with Juhi Chawla for first time since ‘Bol Radha Bol’, know why the late actor shouted at her on ‘Sharmaji Namkeen’ set

Tribune Web Desk

Chandigarh, March 22

It was in 1992 last that Juhi Chawla and Rishi Kapoor shared the screen space for Bol Radha Bol.

Now, their last on-screen appearance is going to be in Sharmaji Namkeen, which is set to have a direct-to-OTT release.

Juhi, talking about Sharmaji Namkeen, was all in tesars as the film was Rishi Kapoor’s last project.

Rishi Kapoor passed away in 2020.

Rishi had shot for a major portion of the film, which after his death completed by Paresh Rawal.

Juhi, while speaking about the film, said it was “so much fun, but at the same time, heartbreaking.”

“A few weeks after Chintu ji (Rishi Kapoor) passed away, Ritesh Sidhwani from Excel Entertainment called me and said, ‘We will take this through to the end. We will not abandon this.’ I was like I am all there for it. I love the film. I loved working with Chintu ji. I was quite heartbroken when he left us. So, with this film, we went through a bouquet of emotions. But I am happy to see that it is complete and set to release,” Juhi said.

When asked about her fondest memory of working with the legendary Rishi Kapoor, Juhi smiled and replied, “There were so many incidents… so many. Early in my career, I used to be so in awe of him because I was standing in front of ‘the’ Chintu Ji. I was like a newcomer in front of him. I would forget my lines, fumble and everything. So, I have seen him from then to now.”

She also recalled when Rishi Kapoor in Sharmaji Namkeen scolded her.

“I always had him scolding me on the sets. Always,” Juhi remembered, adding that this time around, she would start giggling every time he would get angry on her. “When he started scolding, I started giggling. It was so much fun to work with him. Pyaar se daante hai wo.”

Remembering one of the days on Sharmaji Namkeen sets, Juhi recalled how Rishi Kapoor screamed at her because she was checking the monitor. The legendary actor called Juhi Chawla an “insecure actor.”

“On the sets, when scenes were going on, Chintu ji was effortless and sparkling. And I was standing in front of him and struggling with my takes. I knew what was happening inside me. I was like, ‘Chintu ji ke itne acche shots hai. Mere nahi aayenge toh not good. I would keep running to the monitor just to see ki maine take theek kiya ki nahi. So, Chintu ji was like – ‘monitor is not meant for actors. Why are you behaving like an insecure actor? Hitesh, why are you allowing her to see the monitor.’ I would crack up, but still went and saw the monitor. I loved all that. Great fun,” Juhi said.

Adding to the actor, Hitesh said Rishi Kapoor was against seeing the monitor. “He would never see the monitor after his shots were done. Even if you ask him, he would say, ‘It is your job. I don’t want to see anything,” he said, adding, “I used to enjoy working with him.”

Sharmaji Namkeen will stream on Amazon Prime Video from March 31.