You came to Bombay in 1943 at age of 20, keen to work in films. What was life like then, particularly on the political front?

Exciting, challenging. The ‘Quit India’ movement was over, there was palpable excitement and a feeling that independence could not be far away. We were young, had wild dreams of making it to films. To make a living, I worked in the Censor office.

What was the movie scene like then?

Oh, Bombay was the lifeline of the Hindi film industry. Both Hindi and English films were popular and there were long queues at all theatres. I remember standing in an endless queue to buy tickets for V. Shantaram’s Shakuntala . Ashok Kumar and Motilal were the leading men in the industry. The studio system was going strong, with New Talkies and Prabhat studios at the top.

How did you go about the task of joining films?

I came to the city with Rs 30 and had to rough it out before getting a job. It was a transition period; World War II was over and there were thousands seeking jobs. I was part of a crowd, sleeping on benches, eating when there was cash and doing the rounds of studios.

I guess my education (degree in English literature from Lahore Government College), personality and upbringing helped but there was no alternative to hard work.

Were you debonair, dapper and dashing even then?

(Laughs) Certainly. My shirts were good and fashionable. I believed in good grooming.

You did not go through the usual rounds…from your first film

Were you part of the studio system?

Everyone was. I was with Prabhat, Pune, for three years on a monthly salary of Rs 400, good money in those days. We had to sign contracts and then I was with Ranjit, Bombay Talkies, Filmistan. The salary went up to Rs 1,500. The contract was to instill discipline. Unlike the heroes of today we could not recommend heroines or music directors or have a say in costumes. No star tantrums were allowed. But we had certain privileges, like special dressing rooms and privacy. The studios put us on pedestals to impress the public.

You acted in about 110 films, 48 of them in the first ten years. You had eight releases each in 1950 and 1951 and three or four every year thereafter. Quite amazing!

That was because of the studio system. Writers churned out screenplays, sets were ready, directors, choreographers and music directors were on the payroll. All I had to do was to act! A film was completed in less than six months, in fact Birha ki Raat in half that time. The set up was professional, everyone knew his job and films came out quickly.

Tell me about star romances, off the screen. How did the studios react to this?

(Smiles) When two attractive individuals were together for long intervals during shooting and doing love scenes, sparks did fly. There was mutual attraction in many cases; that was human nature. Studios did not mind, provided the work got done.

Chaperones for the female stars?

Oh, yes. My first heroine, Kamala Kotnis, was chaperoned. Madubala’s father was always on the sets, keeping an eye on his beauteous daughter. Suraiya, with whom I was in love, was chaperoned by her grandmother. But we did not flaunt our relationships.

Did the media write about these relationships? Were there gossip columnists?

Oh, plenty was written. There were journalists like B.K. Karanjia and Baburao Patel who wrote real and imaginary stories about the Raj-Nargis, Dilip-Madhubala, Ashok Kumar-Nalini Jaywant attachments. And of course about myself and Suraiya. But I never lied about my love for her.

Was there any ‘foreign’ influence on the film industry?

We loved Hollywood movies of that golden age, I mean, 1950s, and admired Gregory Peck, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Betty Grable. Many of them came to Bombay and we made friends. If I modelled myself on Peck, it was only natural, I admired him so much. Raj and Nargis were popular in the Soviet Union where Awaara was a major hit. Writers like Khwaja Ahmed Abbas spread the Leftist influence, I went to the Soviet Union for the screening of the Abbas film, Rahi. Mehboob Khan’s first colour film, Aan, was processed in London and that started a British connection.

What kind of themes did the films of that era tackle?

Oh, some of them were topical and quite daring. Like untouchability, social reforms, freedom struggle and so on. Achyut Kanya was about untouchability. My first film, Hum Ek Hain, was about Hindu Muslim unity. Vidyapathi and Padosi were wonderful films on contemporary themes. And of course, romance. Life, both real and on screen, would be sterile without romance. But we did not have passionate love scenes, our eyes met, hands touched and the emotion was conveyed to the audience. Song lyrics breathed romance.

Yes, somehow I enjoyed this privilege from my early days. You should know what outfits suited you, and stick to them. I had special outfitters who designed the broad collared shirts and trousers which suited my personality. The Jewel Thi ef cap was my own invention.