Vidhu Vinod Chopra is a prolific film director, producer, and screenwriter and has many other additions under his name. He has been making wonderful films and has received several accolades, including four National Film Awards, ten Filmfare Awards and an Academy Award nomination. However, there was one such instance of Vidhu, along with popular actress Neha (original name is Shabana Raza), who made her debut in the acting world opposite Bobby Deol in the director's film, Kareeb.
In an old interview with Filmfare in 2001, Bobby Deol had opened up about his Kareeb co-star, Shabana Raza's experience with the director, Vidhu Vinod Chopra during their film's shoot. Bobby mentioned that the director had discovered Shabana in Delhi, and Vidhu felt she was 'raw' as this was her first feature film. However, Bobby stated that Vidhu gave a tough time to her and used to yell at her constantly. However, revealing how there was a certain kind of vulnerability about her, and no one said anything to Bobby due to his father, Dharmendra, the actor said:
“There is a certain vulnerability about her. Kareeb was my third film and I was just beginning to feel settled. Neha was raw. And Vinod gave her a tough time. He’d yell at her constantly. No one pulled me up, maybe because my father’s famous."
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In the same conversation, Bobby then recounted an incident where Vidhu went to extreme lengths, and he was completely shocked to be part of such a situation happening with Shabana. Explaining the same, Bobby mentioned that there was a scene when the actress was asked to climb down a mountain and extend her left hand to him. However, she repeatedly got confused and used to extend her right hand to Bobby. Thus, Vidhu asked her to bite her right hand to memorise it. Despite this, even in the final take, she extended her right hand instead of the left one. Bobby continued:
“For one scene, Neha had to come down the mountain and give me her left hand. But she kept getting confused. When she couldn’t get this right after repeated takes, Vidhu asked her to bite her right hand. She did but she still got it wrong in the next take."
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Thus, the film's director, Vidhu got extremely furious upon seeing the same, and took a shocking step. Bobby revealed that Vidhu bit Shabana’s hand, leaving Bobby completely shocked to react when the incident occurred. The actor recalled:
"After 20 takes, Vidhu lost his cool. And you know what he did? He bit her right hand. I was too shocked to react. Poor thing, she was shivering with fright. But even in the okay take, she puts out her right hand.”
While celebrities have voluntarily ditched their names, Shabana Raza was instead 'forced' to change her name. In a 2008 interview with Rediff, Shabana had revealed that she never wanted to be Neha as she liked her original name. Revealing how she matured since her entry into the industry, Shabana had said:
"I was never Neha. I was always Shabana. I was forced into changing my name too. I was not okay with it at all. My parents proudly named me Shabana. There was no need to change it, but nobody listened to me. I have matured a lot since I entered the industry. I was very apprehensive about everything before but I understand better now."
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Post her debut film, Kareeb, Shabana acted in a couple of super hit movies, including Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet, Fiza and Koi Mere Dil Mein Hai. However, it was only with Sanjay Gupta's film, Alibaug that Shabana managed to carry her original name. Thus, working with this film's cast and crew has been her life's best experience. In the same conversation, Shabana continued:
"That is the sad part. Nobody would listen to me when I wanted to go back to my first name. That is why working with Sanjay and the whole team of Alibaug has been the best experience of my life. I told Sanjay that I want to go with my real name, and he was okay with it. I had lost my identity and now, I got it back."
Coming to Shabana's personal life, if reports are to be believed, right after Kareeb, Shabana met the love of her life, Manoj Bajpayee. They then stayed in touch and soon became good friends. Ultimately, their friendship blossomed into love, and after dating for eight years, Manoj and Shabana tied the knot in 2006. Five years later, in 2011, the couple embraced parenthood with the arrival of their daughter, Ava Nayla.
What do you think about Bobby's revelation about Vidhu and Shabana? Let us know!
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