Sharmila Tagore recalls reaching sets of Daag in drenched saree after being hit by snowballs: ‘Yeh toh hamara khel hai’

Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore remembered filmmaker Yash Chopra as their film Daag completed 50 years on Thursday. Daag starred in Sharmila with Rajesh Khanna and Rakhee, and continues to be one of the most remembered romantic Hindi films. Talking about her work experience with Yash Chopra and Rajesh Khanna, Sharmila recalled being hit by snowballs while filming in Shimla. Also read: Sharmila Tagore calls her bikini scene in An Evening In Paris shocking

Talking about Yash Chopra who marked his debut as a producer with Daag, Sharmila told news agency ANI, “I think it’s wonderful that it’s now 50 years since we made Daag, yet the movie and the songs remain so popular. In fact, recently Manoj Bajpayee (I made Gulmohar with him) was constantly singing Ek Chehre Pe Dusre Chehre Laga Dete Hai Log. I had to tell him please don’t sing it. My reaction when I was offered Daag was an unparalleled joy, really. I saw it as a great compliment and honour to be a part of Yash’s first venture, his debut as a producer. I was absolutely thrilled.”

“Working in Daag was a wonderful experience. Actually working with Yash – even when I worked with him in Waqt was a wonderful experience. He was always so much fun. As a director, he energised everyone on the set. Ask anybody who has worked with him, with his Punjabi endearments and just generally he was like a live wire. We shot in such beautiful locations when we were working for Daag. We were shooting in Shimla one day and I woke up to a landscape covered in snow; a stunning view from my hotel window but that also meant that I had to walk to work as no car could come to us through the snow; I remember that I would get ready in make up-hair and everything and barely walk 5 steps when something had hit me really really hard and it was a snowball.

“I turned around to protest, I found a bunch of giggly girls and they said ‘Yeh toh hamara khel hai, hum toh khelenge (this is our game)’. I tried to explain to them but they wouldn’t listen (laughs). And I had to walk the distance to the location which was thankfully not too far being constantly hit with snowballs; I think I also threw some at them but my aim was not half as good as theirs! But anyway, I think I quite enjoyed that by the end of it; it’s another matter that I had to change at the location because I was drenched; so they made sort of a make-shift room where I changed my sari! Anyway, it was a great experience playing their game ‘Yeh toh hamara khel hai, hum toh khelenge’,” Sharmila added.

Sharmila also recalled working with Rajesh Khanna in the movie and said, “I think Kaka gave a memorable performance in Daag and he looked really really gorgeous in his later avatar as Rakhee’s husband with that moustache and that dashing look ..so you know he played two different stages in his life and he already was the heartthrob of the nation and he was very good. I am really very grateful and happy that the audience liked Kaka and I working together and we became a hit pair and I think we made some great films together – Daag of course being one of them and even today they talk about our pair! I’m very grateful.”

Released in the year 1973, Daag was a hit. Besides Sharmila and Rajesh, it also had Madan Puri, Kader Khan, Prem Chopra and A.K Hangal in key roles. Sharmila was last seen in Gulmohar.