Did You Know?

Sunil Dutt started as radio-show host and celebrity interviewer at All India Radio. Wife-to-be Nargis was one of the celebrities he met in the course of his work.

Raaj Kumar was known for not shooting in night shifts. However, he made an exception for Betaj Badshah when he shot a crucial sequence with Ajit till midnight. That's not all, he even brought his personal pistol and sword for the shooting. When asked why didn't he use the fake pistol/sword used regularly for film shootings, he replied promptly, "Hum Betaaj Badshah hain. Kiraye ke samaan se hum shikaar nahin karte." (I'm the uncrowned King, I don't hunt with borrowed stuff.)

Manoj Kumar called himself Bharat in almost all his productions. In 1977, the actor and film-maker registered a number of titles which included the word Bharat in them, viz. Naya Bharat, Doosra Bharat, Ek Aur Bharat, Krantikari Bharat, Bharat Aur Kranti and Bharat Ka Naya Roop.

The eunuchs of Karachi had decided to crown Amitabh Bachchan for his excellent performance in Laawaris. Not only did they offer him a life membership of their association but they also adopted the hit song Mere Angne Mein as their new anthem.

Compiled by Cultural Correspondent