For generations of moviegoers, Amrish Puri remains synonymous with larger-than-life villains, from Mogambo to Ashraf Ali. But for actor Ameesha Patel, who shared screen space with the veteran in Gadar: Ek Prem Kathamemories of him go far beyond his intimidating on-screen presence.
Recalling her time on the sets of Gadar: Ek Prem Kathathe actor remembered the late Amrish Puri as a warm, humorous and affectionate co-star. Speaking to India Today exclusively, she said, “Oh, I miss Amrish ji tremendously. The scary part wasn’t because of him — he was a doll to work with. He was extremely witty, humorous, and had such an edgy sense of humour, something you would never guess from the kind of Mogambo and Ashraf Ali roles he had done.”
Interestingly, the actor revealed that her very first scene in The bridge was not a light-hearted one. Since films are rarely shot in sequence, she began with the emotionally charged post-interval confrontation scene opposite Puri. “That confrontation scene was my very first scene in The bridgeand it was opposite Amrish ji. I was shitting bricks. I was shivering. But it was so amazing to work with him. He made it so easy for me. He never made me feel like he was this super accomplished actor and I was just some silly newcomer. Nobody knew (about) Say I love you then; it was still under production,” she said.
Patel explained that portraying Sakina in that scene required her to emotionally carry years of the character’s journey. “Mentally, I had to tell myself that Sakina had graduated from school, gone through Partition, been separated from her family and thought they were dead. She had married and settled in India with a man poles apart from her — an uneducated, non-English-speaking Jat. She had adapted to Hindu ways and had a seven-year-old child. I had to stand opposite Amrish ji carrying all of those transitions within me. So it became even harder.”
Despite her nerves, she said working with actors like Puri only elevated her performance. “But fantastic actors elevate your scenes. Because they perform so well, they give you the enthusiasm to perform even better. Honestly, you shiver, but they make it very easy,” she added.
Patel also fondly remembered the actor’s wife, who often accompanied him during the Lucknow schedule. “His wife was also very lovely. She was on the sets in Lucknow when we were shooting those scenes, and she would always put everyone at ease,” she recalled.
Among her favourite memories is an incident from the Amritsar schedule, where director Anil Sharma was worried that the actor had become too thin. “There was so much crowd at Amritsar station and even lathi charges outside because people had come to see us. Anil Sharma came into the make-up van with this huge box of sweets and said, ‘Sakina madam, eat these laddoos. You should put on some weight. Sakina looks happy, so the heroine should be like this and like that,'” Patel recalled.
She said actor Lilette Dubey and others were sharing a make-up van when Amrish Puri stepped in with a remark that left everyone laughing. “Amrish ji quietly tapped Anil Sharma on the back and said, ‘Yes, yes, the heroine should eat laddoos, but Sakina is fine. Come on, take the shot.’ I burst out laughing. It was just like a father defending his daughter in real life — ‘Leave her alone, let her be.’ It was very cute,” she said.
The actor continued,”These are beautiful moments that I’ve shared with the cast, and they will remain with me forever. If I could rewind time and go back to those sets, I would love to.”
Bridge 2the sequel to Gadar: Ek Prem Kathareleased in theatres 22 years after the original film. Recently, director Anil Sharma revealed that Bridge 3 is in the works.
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