Reshma Aur Shera Was Supposed To Be AB’s First Film

Before signing his first film Saat Hindustani, Amitabh Bachchan had signed Reshma Aur Shera. Though it was delayed in release, Amitabh Bachchan remembers Reshma Aur Shera as his first.

 

As known widely, he was a struggling actor and was excluded by many directors in auditions. With the help of his mother’s friend and a film actress Nargis, he bagged his first film Saat Hindustani. Before this entire incident transpired, Amitabh’s mother had run her contacts and thus, Indira Gandhi had written a letter to her friend Nargis mentioning Amitabh’s interest in acting. Sunil Dutt, Nargis’s husband, had signed Amitabh Bachchan for Reshma Aur Shera and this was Amitabh’s first break in the industry. But, somehow the film release got delayed and Saat Hindustani came first and achieved the credit to be Amitabh’s first film.

 

Reshma Aur Shera was shot in a tiny village called Pochina near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan. Reshma Aur Shera was one of Mr Bachchan‘s earliest films, at a time when he was considered a “flop actor.” The film starred Sunil Dutt and Waheeda Rehman in the lead roles of Shera and Reshma, with Big B and Vinod Khanna playing Shera’s brothers Chotu and Vijay. Ranjeet and Raakhee also appeared in pivotal roles.

 

The entire cast and crew lived in tents in the village throughout the shoot. They shot for many months in the difficult desert facing bitter cold in winters, scorching heat in summers and terrible sand storms.

 

Considered a classic now, Reshma Aur Shera was driven by a huge hail of criticism when it was released. The 13 year old boy and Sunil Dutt’s son Sanjay Dutt made his first appearance on screen with this film. Amitabh Bachchan has been a big fan of Waheeda Rehman. While shooting the film, Sunil Dutt and Waheeda ji had to shoot a scene where they were supposed to sit on the whooping sand dunes bare feet. Amitabh Bachchan was worried how she would walk in such huge dunes of sand bare feet that too in that scorching heat. When the director ordered CUT while shooting, without missing a moment, Amitabh had picked Waheeda ji’s sandals and ran to her so that she could not stand or walk in sand bare feet. Amitabh Bachchan still remembers that moment of being a true fan of hers.