As the cult 1993 classic ‘Damini’ completes 33 years, actress Meenakshi Seshadri has taken fans behind the scenes with a warm and revealing look at what it took to pull off one of the film’s most memorable song sequences. In a social media post marking the anniversary, the actress recalled how the late Rishi Kapoor’s composed driving and seamless coordination with the camera crew turned a near-stunt moment into the effortlessly romantic opening of ‘Jabse Tumko Dekha Hai Sanam’.
Meenakshi Seshadri recalls how Rishi Kapoor made a daring car-top shot look easy
The iconic song, shot amid the lush greenery of Mysore, opened with a shot that was far more physically demanding than it appeared on screen. Meenakshi Seshadri revealed that staying poised and romantic-looking while perched atop a moving vehicle required every bit of her focus and physical control.In her own words, “In this song the opening shot reveals the heroine sitting atop a moving car. This was almost like a stunt shot and took all my agility to stay firm but still look relaxed and romantic.”The veteran actress was generous in her praise for Rishi Kapoor’s role in making the shot work, crediting his steadiness behind the wheel as the key factor that kept the sequence safe and smooth. “Rishi Kapoor Ji also displayed great driving talent in managing the car, keeping me stable and working with the camera crew,” she wrote.Sharing the full post on social media, she wrote, “Continuing the 33rd anniversary celebrations of Damini. Damini was an intense and serious drama, but it still has some melodious, memorable music. Jabse tumko dekha hai sanam is a sweet eternally appealing composition and was shot in the idyllic greenery of the Mysore areas.”
More about ‘Damini’
Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, ‘Damini’ featured a powerful ensemble cast including Meenakshi Seshadri, Rishi Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, and Rohini Hattangadi. The film told the story of Damini, an ordinary yet morally unshakeable woman who fights for justice for her house help after witnessing a horrific crime committed by her brother-in-law and subsequently covered up by her in-laws.The film is equally remembered for Sunny Deol’s electrifying courtroom scenes and dialogues that have since become part of Bollywood folklore, “Tarikh pe tarikh…” and “Yeh haath jab uth jaata hai toh aadmi uthta nahin, uth jaata hai.”The movie was released on April 30, 1993.
