Mumbai: Veteran actress Saira Banu, who often shares untold stories from her life on her Instagram, dropped another anecdote on Monday, as she celebrated the anniversary of her film ‘Duniya’.
The actress featured in a special appearance in the film after she hung up her boots, and the reason behind her taking up the film was very personal and an act of reciprocation towards producer Yash Johar, the founder of Dharma productions and the father of producer-director Karan Johar.
‘Duniya’, which released on September 18, 1984, was produced by Yash Johar, who the actress referred to as a one in a million friend.
Taking to Instagram, she penned a long note as she wrote: “To think of ‘Duniya’ release this day is to welcome a hundred beautiful memories. Years before I starred in this as ‘Special Guest Appearance” when I had given up my acting work, which was my love, because I was not getting enough time to be at home to share the beautiful life I had embarked upon by being fortunate enough and blessed by God to have married Dilip Sahib the Emperor.”
She shared the production details about the film, her bond with Dilip Kumar and with Yash Johar.
She wrote: “This was a film under the illustrious Dharma Productions headed by Yash Johar, father of Karan Johar, who was a celebrated producer of the film industry and irreplaceable loving friend to Sahib and our entire family. I can never forget his largesse of heart when he went out of his way to help each and every one of his friends when they were in a quandary especially with health problems. To quote a few incidents my mother Naseem Banuji suffered with Asthma and the specific medications desired that time would come from abroad, either London or America because those weren’t available in our country.”
“He would be ‘Santa Claus’ just coming into our home and bringing in the desired medicines with a snap of a finger it would seem! Similarly some oils and tablets were desired for Sahib and the same surprise would be repeated for the requirement. Once we were travelling to America and can you believe it in the same flight Yashji was carrying a Blood Sample in his hands for a celebrated friend whom the world knows, to be processed for a particular test which could not be processed here at home in Bombay at that time. He was one in a million friend, compassionate and an extraordinarily caring human being,” she added as she reminisced about how Yash Johar always served as a knight in the shinning armour for her and her family.
She further mentioned: “One sunny morning when I was sharing my cup of tea with Sahib he smiled at me and said “Saira I know that you have stopped working so that we share this precious time to lull over happily together over a cup of tea. These precious moments could not have been possible if you had been away somewhere. Then he proceeded to give me the surprise of surprises, he said that he would like me to do a ‘Special Appearance’ which depicted his wife in the film, Yash Johar’s ‘Duniya’ for which he was shooting.”
The senior actress then made a promise to her followers about sharing another anecdote on Tuesday, this time from the film itself.
“I have an anecdote to share about ‘DUNIYA’ which I will post tomorrow”, she concluded.
–IANS