Jaya Prada recalls sleepless, anxious night before shooting iconic 'De De Pyaar De' with Amitabh Bachchan
Mumbai, July 30
Bollywood veteran actress Jaya Prada opened up about the self doubt she experienced prior to filming her iconic song, 'De De Pyaar De', and revealed how she couldn't sleep the night before the shoot of the song.
The actress who appeared on the dance reality show, India's Best Dancer, said, "Asal mein, zyada expressions ke saath hi original mein tha. Isme Meena joh hain which was my character in the film, yeh gaane mein woh modern dress mein dikhti hain. Uss raat mujhe, Prakash Mehra joh director hain uss film ke unhone kaha tha ki aapko yeh sequence mein modern dress mein rehna hoga."
She added, "Toh main raat bhar mujhe tension ho raha tha ki itna glamorous lagna hain aur soch rahi thi ki main kaise lagungi kyuki Indian dress ka mujhe pata tha but Modern dress mein lagna tha aur shot mein itna impressively perform karna tha."
(In truth, the original was filled with intense expressions. In this song, Meena which was my character in the film, appears in a modern outfit. That night, Prakash Mehra, the director of the film, told me that I had to wear a modern dress for this sequence. So all night I was extremely anxious about looking so glamorous, wondering how I would look because I knew how I looked in traditional Indian attire, but here I had to wear a modern dress and perform impressively in the shot)
She concluded by saying, "Kamaal ka beat hain isme, main hamesha tension mein raat bhar main soch rahi thi. Phir finally uske baad shooting hui aur voh song aisa hain ki raat mein Amit ji mujhe dhoondhte hain and all toh it was more like an intensive love expression."
(The song has incredible beats, and I was continuously anxious and thinking about it all night. Then finally, the shoot took place. The song is such that Amit ji is looking for me in the night, so it was more like an intense expression of love)
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, I think she over-romanticizes this a bit. Yes, the song is iconic, but it's also a product of its time with very male-gaze aesthetics. Still, her acting is top-notch and she delivered. Respect for her hard work!
Ye song to mere ghar mein hamesha bajta tha! My dad still loves it. Jaya Prada ji aur Amitabh ji ki chemistry unmatched hai. Her nervousness is so relatable - who hasn't lain awake before a big day? Classic Bollywood memories! 🎬
Interesting to see the transition from traditional to modern dress being such a big deal. Times have changed so much! But her commitment to her craft is admirable. The song still looks fresh even after all these years. 🇮🇳
As someone who's not Indian, I find these behind-the-scenes stories fascinating! The cultural anxiety about wearing modern clothes for a film scene is something I never considered. Bollywood history has so many layers. Great read!
'De De Pyaar De' is pure nostalgia! I remember my mom telling me about this song. Jaya Prada ji's expressions really made it special. It's heartwarming to hear her share this personal struggle - she's so grounded despite being a legend! 💖
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