Meenakshi Seshadri Recalls Rishi Kapoor's Driving Skills in Damini Song Shoot

Meenakshi Seshadri recently recalled a behind-the-scenes moment from the 1993 film Damini while celebrating its 33rd anniversary. She shared how the opening shot of the song Jabse Tumko Dekha Hai Sanam required her to sit atop a moving car, which felt like a stunt. She praised late actor Rishi Kapoor for his calm driving skills and coordination with the camera crew, which helped her stay stable. Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Damini also starred Sunny Deol and is remembered for its strong female lead and iconic courtroom dialogues.

Key Points: Meenakshi Seshadri on Rishi Kapoor's Driving in Damini

  • Meenakshi Seshadri marks 33 years of Damini
  • She recalls shooting for Jabse Tumko Dekha Hai Sanam
  • Opening shot involved her sitting atop a moving car
  • Rishi Kapoor's driving skills made the difficult shot easy
2 min read

Meenakshi Seshadri recalls how Rishi Kapoor's fine driving skills helped her shoot for a tough shot in Damini

Meenakshi Seshadri recalls how Rishi Kapoor's calm driving skills helped her shoot a tough stunt-like scene for the iconic song Jabse Tumko Dekha Hai Sanam in Damini.

"Rishi Kapoor Ji also displayed great driving talent in managing the car, keeping me stable and working with the camera crew. - Meenakshi Seshadri"

Mumbai, May 8

Veteran actor Meenakshi Seshadri recently took a trip down memory lane as she marked 33 years of her iconic film Damini.

The actress further recalled a fun BTS moment while shooting for the iconic song, Jabse Tumko Dekha Hai Sanam, and opened up about how late actor Rishi Kapoor made the difficult shot easy.

Recalling the experience through a social media post on her account, Meenakshi revealed that the opening shot of the song had her sitting atop a moving car amidst the scenic greenery of Mysore.

She described it as almost like performing a stunt, and how it took all her strength and balance to stay firm while still looking relaxed and romantic on camera.

She praised Rishi Kapoor for his calm driving skills and co-ordination with the camera crew, which made the shooting easy and helped her stay stable during the challenging sequence.

Sharing the post, Meenakshi 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."

She added, "In this song The openings 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. Rishi Kapoor Ji also displayed great driving talent in managing the car, keeping me stable and working with the camera crew."

Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Damini released in 1993 and starred a powerful ensemble cast including Meenakshi Seshadri, Rishi Kapoor, Sunny Deol, Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Rohini Hattangadi.

Talking about the film's storyline, it revolved around Damini, a simple yet morally correct woman who fights for the justice of her house help after witnessing a grave crime committed by her brother-in-law and his friends in a drunk state, and then backed by her in-laws.

Meenakshi Seshadri's portrayal of Damini was hailed as one of the strongest female performances of that time.

The movie is also remembered for Sunny Deol's fiery courtroom sequences and iconic dialogues like, "Tarikh pe tarikh..." and "Yeh haath jab uth jaata hai toh aadmi uthta nahin, uth jaata hai."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
I've seen Damini so many times and never realized the opening shot of that song required her to sit on a moving car! That's dedication. Meenakshi and Rishi Kapoor made a wonderful pair. Rajkumar Santoshi really knew how to extract great performances. Tarikh pe tarikh... that dialogue still echoes in Indian cinema history!
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Priya S
This is such a wholesome throwback! Meenakshi Seshadri was one of the most graceful actresses of her time. And Rishi Kapoor ji - what a legend, not just as an actor but apparently as a driver too! 😄 The way they shot songs back then with minimal safety precautions shows how fearless these actors were. Truly iconic film.
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Michael C
Damini was ahead of its time - a powerful film about standing up against injustice. While I appreciate the BTS story about the song, I think the movie's real legacy lies in its strong female protagonist. Sunny Deol's courtroom scenes were electrifying, but Meenakshi's performance as Damini was the soul of the film. Respect! 🙌
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Vikram M
Nostalgia overload! Damini is one of those rare films where every character - even the villains - left a mark. Amrish Puri as the ruthless father-in-law was terrifying. But my favourite part is still that song - the chemistry between Meenakshi and Rishi Kapoor was pure magic. Sad that she left films too early, she had such potential.
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Kavya N
I remember watching Damini with my

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