Aruna Irani recalls first-ever audition in front of Dilip Kumar: Was busy sipping cold drink & munching on chips
Mumbai, June 4
Veteran actress Aruna Irani recalled about her first ever audition given to Hindi cinema legend Dilip Kumar.
In the upcoming episode of the reality show, 'Tum Ho Naa - Ghar Ki Superstar' the actress spoke about the episode when she gave her first audition.
Aruna shared that a casting team had once visited her residential building looking for child actors.
The children in the building were told that anyone interested in acting could come for audition at a specified time and would be treated with wafers and cold drinks. Excited by the offer, Aruna even convinced her friends to join her.
Smiling as she remembered the moment, Aruna revealed, "Audition diya, Dilip sahab ko diya. (You gave the audition to Dilip Kumar) "
Bringing the memory vividly to life, Aruna said, "Mai to aram se udhar kone mai khade hoke cold drinks pee rahi thi, wafers kha rahi thi, utne mai unki nazar gai. Unhone bola, "Ae ladki, ha tum, tum idhar aao." Haath pochke maine namaste kiya, 'dialogue bol leti ho bols'.. toh unhone kaha 'kaka, kaka mujhe bohot dar lag raha hai', ye dar ke bolna hai haan. Phir maine bola."
(I was standing quietly in a corner, sipping a cold drink and eating wafers when he noticed me. He called out, 'Hey girl, yes you, come here.' After wiping my hands, I greeted him with a namaste. He asked, 'Can you deliver a dialogue?' Then he said, 'Say, "Kaka, Kaka, I am very scared," and remember, you have to say it as if you're frightened.' So I delivered the line)
She further recalled how that unexpected encounter became the beginning of her illustrious career, adding, "Phir mujhe short list kiya, tab Shree Ganesh in the industry hua mera. (Then I was shortlisted and that is how I entered the industry)"
Rajeev then asked whether her family supported her decision to pursue acting. Aruna responded, "Yes, because my father had a drama company, my mother was an actress."
Amazed by the story, Rajeev Khandelwal, the host of the show, remarked, "Ye kaisa audition tha imagine kariye aap, apki life ka pehela audition, mananiya superstar Dilip Kumar sahab ke saamne." (Just imagine what kind of an audition that was, the very first audition of your life, and that too in front of the legendary superstar Dilip Kumar sahab)
Talking about Aruna Irani, the actress is touted as one of the most versatile performers in Hindi cinema, and has appeared in over 500 films across multiple languages.
The actress has begun as a leading lady in films like 'Caravan' and 'Bombay to Goa'.
She later transitioned into memorable character roles in movies such as 'Beta', 'Raja Babu' and many more.
She has delivered many superhit songs such as, 'Chadti Jawani Meri Chaal Mastani" and "Dilbar Dil Se Pyare."
On the personal front, Aruna Irani is married to filmmaker Kuku Kohli.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Reading this brought a smile to my face. The simplicity of that era! Imagine today's actors - they'd have full makeup, stylists, and 20 retakes for a selfie. But Aruna ji just stood there munching wafers, wiped her hands, and gave a namaste to Dilip Kumar sahab before delivering the dialogue. That's some real talent and confidence. Also shows how casting happened organically back then - no big agencies, just pure observation.
This is such a charming story! I've watched many of Aruna Irani's films and she's always been so natural on screen. The way she narrated this incident - casually drinking cold drink and eating chips, then being summoned by a legend like Dilip Kumar - it's like a scene from a movie itself. Her song "Chadti Jawani Meri Chaal Mastani" is still a classic! Wonderful to see these golden memories being shared.
Honestly, this reminds me how much Hindi cinema has changed. Aruna Irani's story is heartwarming but also shows the lack of professional audition processes back then. I mean, getting discovered while munching chips is cute, but it also means many talented kids might have been overlooked. Still, glad it worked out for her! She's done some amazing work - from Caravan to Beta, her range is incredible.
Such a sweet anecdote! The way Aruna ji described it - "Haath pochke maine namaste kiya" - it's so endearing. She was just a carefree child enjoying her snacks, and Dilip Kumar sahab spotted her naturalness. That's what made her special - she didn't try to perform, she was just herself. Her transition from leading lady to character actress is something modern actors should learn from. True versatility!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.