Shekhar Suman Recalls Shooting Intimate Scenes With Rekha In Utsav: 'She Never Said Nazdik Mat Aana...'

The 1984 film Utsav, starring Rekha and Shekhar Suman in pivotal roles, was an erotic drama containing quite a few intimate scenes between the two leads. Alongside them, the movie also starred Shashi Kapoor, Amjad Khan, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta and others.

As actor Shekhar Suman gears up for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, he shared his thoughts about his co-star Rekha in an interview with Siddharth Kannan. Suman praised Rekha’s professionalism and recalled an incident from their time on sets together.

Recalling the shooting days of Utsav with Rekha, Shekhar Suman revealed that she never once complained about the many intimate scenes they shot. Suman added that he had never encountered a more professional actor than her. He also recalled an incident where there was a Income Tax raid at her house on the first day of the shoot. “Any other actor would have packed their bags and gone away. She said, ‘Let them do their job, I’ll stay back and do mine’. I was afraid that my world had come crashing down, that she would leave and the film would get cancelled, my dreams would be shattered,” remembered Suman.

Shekhar Suman also shared that the actress was very professional on set and never refused physical contact in scenes, unlike other actresses. “She was an absolute professional. I’ll forever be indebted to her,” he said.

In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming series, Shekhar Suman brings Zulfiqar Ahmed to life, a character of authority whose very demeanour exudes power and sophistication. Adhyayan Suman embodies Zorawar Ali Khan, a wealthy and arrogant nawab whose actions are guided solely by self-interest. The historical drama series will transport audiences to a time when courtesans reigned as monarchs. Through the stories of courtesans and their clients, set against the turbulent backdrop of the Indian Independence struggle in the 1940s, the series investigates the cultural reality of the namesake area of HeeraMandi.

Heeramandi is set for a release on May 1 on Netflix.