Deepti Naval was anchoring a TV show in New York when writer- director, Vinod Panday saw her and decided to cast her in his debut film Ek Baar Phir.  The 80s was the blossoming decade for parallel cinema and Deepti was the first choice for all those filmmakers who could not get Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil. She made some path breaking films and some characters haunt even today be it Hum Paanch, Saath Saath, Kamla, Chashme Badoor, Katha, Ankahee aur Main Zinda Hoon.

 It was in the 80s that she released her debut book, Lamhe and we soon discovered that she was not just an actor and a writer but also a painter and a photographer.  She loved traveling and often drove to unknown locations solo, not surprising that she produced and directed a travel show shot in the mountains.

Last week, Deepti released her third book A Country Called Childhood in Mumbai. Reproduced below are excerpts from the book:

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Manoj Kumar believed in Raj Kapoor’s film and showmanship. He was as affected by the failure of the film as the filmmaker. He kept rewriting the scenes in his mind, till he actually cracked the problem and called Raj Kapoor to share his thoughts. Kumar was confident that a re-edited version of Mera Naam Joker would become a blockbuster but by then Raj Kapoor was too depressed to try alternatives and in any case, the film was already released and the verdict declared.

In the seventies Manoj Kumar was working in fewer films Sanyasi, Dus Numbari, Yaadgar, Pehchaan, Beimaan and Shirdi Ke Sai Baba so he could devote time to his home production and directed three more films in the decade, Roti Kapda aur Makan, Shorand Purab aur Paschim. The eighties were times of multi-starrers and Kumar released Kranti with his idol Dilip Kumar, a dream come true for the actor-filmmaker.  The biggest success stories have to fade eventually and Kalyug Ki Ramayan, Clerk, Bharat Ka Beta, Deshwasi, Maidan- E- Jung in the nineties finally put a lid on the actor’s glorious career.

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Along with social films like Himalay Ki God Mein, Manoj Kumar excelled as a thriller hero and the first of his mystery movies was Woh Kaun Thi directed by RK Nayyar followed by Gumnam and Nayyar’s Anita with Sadhna. In 1965 Manoj Kumar featured in his first patriotic film, Shaheed-E- Bhagat that changed the course of his life and career. It is said that late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri requested Manoj Kumar to make a film on the slogan of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan and Kumar consented even though he had no experience of either writing or direction.

He was advised to escape to Mahabaleshwar and write the script as was the trend those days but Manoj Kumar booked himself on a Rajdhani train and wrote the first half of Upkaar Bombay to Delhi and the second half from Delhi to Bombay. Upkaar was a super success but the man, Lal Bahadur Shastri for whom Manoj Kumar made the film, never saw it because Shastriji died on his Tashkent trip in 1966. Manoj Kumar deeply regretted not showcasing Upkaar for Shastriji. His other regret was the failure of Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker.

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There are many stories about how Manoj Kumar came into films. One of them that I find fascinating is that Manoj Kumar literally strolled inside a film studio one day and asked a noble man for work. The production engaged him in mundane labour like carrying lights and luggage and was slowly promoted as assistant on the sets. He was made to stand as stepney to check lighting for the hero and probably that is how somebody thought of him as a leading man. He was only 20 years old when he was introduced in Fashion, his debut film.

In the coming four years, Manoj Kumar did eight films (Panchayat, Sahara, Chand, Honeymoon, Suhaag Sindoor, Kaanch ki Gudiya and Reshmi Rumal), mostly heroine-oriented films and unsuccessful, until Vijay Bhatt re-introduced him in Hariyali Aur Raasta and was an established star by the sixties featuring in close to 27 films, some romantic, Dr Vidya with Vyajantimala, Do Badan with Asha Parekh, Sawan Ki Ghata with SharmilaTagore and, Pathar Ke Sanam and Aadmi with Waheeda Rehman.

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Manoj Kumar started his career as a romantic hero and moved on to family and social dramas blossoming as a patriotic hero in later years of his career. Born on 24 July in 1937 he was named Harikishen Goswami by his parents and adopted Manoj Kumar as a screen name. In the film fraternity, he is referred to as Panditji and the media has forever addressed him as Mr Bharat. Kumar. He is his parents’ oldest child and it is said that when his mother visited the hospital with her two-month -old baby, ten-year-old Manoj Kumar accompanied her to look after her.

The year was 1947 and when the riots broke out suddenly, the hospital staff deserted the patients and fled. Manoj Kumar saw his baby brother die in his mother’s arms but there was no time to mourn the loss because the family had to migrate to India. In Delhi, the family parked at the refugee camp and it is here that his younger siblings went to school and Manoj Kumar completed his graduation.

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It’s interesting how perceptions alter with time. Some years ago, a shy Jaya Bhaduri rendered ‘Bol re papi hara…’ in Guddi and a few decades later, Kajol draped in a towel danced to ‘Mere khwabon mein jo aaye…’ in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Amitabh Bachchan and Smita Patil surrender to the monsoon madness in ‘Aaj rapat jaiyo…’ in Namak Halaal, so do the kids of Dil Toh Pagal Hai in ‘Koi ladka hai’.

If Sridevi in ‘Kaate nahin kattey…’ in Mr. India was a celebration of sensuality, Akshay Kumar’s ‘Dekho zara dekho barsaat ki jhadi…’ in Yeh Dillagi is both, a physical and an emotional release but for Mumbaikars the song of complete identification over the years remains ‘Rimjhim gire saawan…’where Moushumi Chatterjee and Amitabh Bachchan walk hand-in-hand drenched in Mumbai rains.