Karan Johar talks about Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi’s kissing scene in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Karan Johar and the team of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani have been basking the success of the film which released last week. The director opened up about Dharmendra and Shabana Azmi’s kiss in his film and said that it was not hard to convince either of the veteran actors for the kissing scene.

Shabana and Dharmendra play lost lovers in the film, who reunite after years as their grandchildren – Alia’s Rani and Ranveer’s Rocky – fall in love. Jaya Bachchan is seen as Dharmendra’s wife.

Karan Johar told Film Companion, “No (it was not hard to convince either of the actors). Shabana ji is a trooper. She is a master actor. What an actor, she is a baap actor (great actor). There was no question. Dharam ji (Dharmendra) was like ‘Haan karna hai toh karna hai (if it has to be done, it has to be done)’. Two great veterans just performing with absolute aplomb, no questions asked. I needed it to be a peck; that was what I wanted. One of my all-time favourites is Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar (from the 1961 film Hum Dono) and it had to be their song because that’s what she says in the dialogue about ‘Mall Road pe woh walks, hum dono ka woh re-run, humara woh favourite gana (Mall Road walks, our re-run, our favourite song). And that became the thematic kind of connection of Rocky (Ranveer) and Rani (Alia) as well. It was just glorious to see them (Dharmendra and Shabana).”

Further speaking about how Dharmendra got up from his wheelchair in the film, only for Shabana, Karan said, “You know at one point I said, ‘Let’s go Manmohan Desai on this’. He (Dharmendra) stands up, and he sings and he walks. He is on a wheelchair, but you forget and you don’t question it… He only walks up for Shabana ji twice, when he sings Aaj Mausam and when he sang Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar, the rest is on wheelchair. My logic was – love makes him walk. Love can move mountains, why can’t it make a man walk.”

Coming to the film,  Dharmendra and Jaya Bachchan are part of Ranveer’s family – the Randhawas. Actors Tota Roy Chowdhury and Churni Ganguly as well as actor Shabana Azmi play Alia’s family – the Chatterjees. The film was released on July 28.