This screen superstar left his 15-year-old co-star in tears after forcibly kissing her
In an industry that still remembers the #MeToo movement and is hiring intimacy coordinators to make actors comfortable, it is easy to forget that just a couple of decades ago, most actors’ consent was never a factor in intimate scenes. Powerful people seldom paid heed to what young actresses felt or wanted. For instance, this controversial incident from a film set in 1969 had a superstar assault a 15-year-old actress.
1. Rekha’s early Bollywood career and Anjana Safar
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In 1969, Rekha – daughter of actors Pushpavalli and Gemini Ganesan – began her career as a lead actress. She signed Anjana Safar, which was later renamed Do Shikaari. The 15-year-old was paired opposite Bengali superstar Biswajit Chatterjee, who was 32 at the time
2. When Biswajit forcibly kissed Rekha
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In her recently published biography Rekha: The Untold Story, the actress recalled how Biswajit and the film’s director Kuljit Pal conspired to elicit a kissing scene from her without her consent. A scene required Biswajit to romance Rekha but the actor went on to kiss the teenager as the shot rolled, catching her by surprise. The director did not cut the shot
3. How Rekha was left in tears
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After the shot, Rekha was left in shock and began to cry on set. As per reports, the young actress was stunned by how she was treated and had to be cajoled to return to shoot more scenes
4. When Biswajit laughed off the incident
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While there was much controversy around the kiss once it was reported in the press, it was still kept in the film. In an interview, Biswajit defended his act, saying that he only did what the director asked him to. The actor added the scene was loved by the audiences, which meant it was the right call
5. Do Shikaari’s fate at the box office
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Anjana Safar, as it was then called, ran into delays due to production issues, and then had a run-in with the Censor Board. The shoot was completed in the early 70s but the film remained canned for years. It was only in 1979 that it was released under the title Do Shikaari but failed to do well at the box office
