Exclusive! B-town celebrities and their special friendships

Fierce competition, awards and golden jubilee hits aside, Bollywood is replete with heart-warming friendships that have lasted decades. Here’s a look at veteran actors from the film industry whose bonds inspire a version of their own Yeh Dosti Hum Nahi Todenge song

Shabana Azmi: Rekha has a private persona different from her public one

Rekha and I have a special bond. We don’t meet very often but when we meet it’s as if there was never a gap. She is warm, loving and extremely funny, and has a private persona, which I have been privy to, and is different from her public one. She is a terrific mimic and can make one laugh till tears roll down our cheeks. She once came home to Janki Kutir, in Juhu. She greeted Abba (her father poet Kaifi Azmi, who was sitting in the lawn) with an aadab and went into the house. All the doors were open with no one around. She called me up and said ‘Anybody could have picked up anything and gone. How can you all be so careless?’ Later Abba told me a beautiful girl had come looking for me, she went into the house and left soon. He hadn’t recognised her!

Hema Malini: Rekha is a dear friend and we are constantly in touch

I’m almost always in my constituency (Mathura) so that keeps me away from the film fraternity but I was thrilled that those I invited to my 75th birthday attended it. It shows how much love and affection they have for me. Rekha is a dear friend, and we are constantly in touch, Shabana (Azmi) acted in my mother’s production Swami so she too has always been special. Shatrughan Sinha is an old friend since the beginning of my career; we even campaigned together in politics, and I’ve taken his advice on things. Jeetendra too has always shown up. Other friends from the industry that I’m constantly in touch with are Ramesh Sippy, Subhash Ghai, Pankaj Dheer and Sanjay Khan among others.

Shatrughan Sinha: For me it isn’t important how long my friendships last, rather how beautiful they were till they lasted

Subhash Ghai had once said ‘These close bonds (friendships in the industry) are like a lease and licence agreement that last as long as the film is being made, after that people tend to move on.’ I completely agree with it, for me it isn’t important how long my friendships last, rather how beautiful they were till they lasted. Despite that I have been fortunate, Subhash Ghai has been a friend, philosopher and guide; and among my first friends in the industry along with KK Mahajan (cinematographer), Asrani, Anil Dhawan and Paintal. Ghai still is a rakhi brother to my wife (Poonam Sinha). Amitabh Bachchan and I also became close friends, but as one becomes successful the friendship gets affected due to various reasons. When he quit politics people thought even I would not last long, but he appreciated my success. There is barely any appreciation for friendship in the industry but I have always maintained my relationships.

Poonam Dhillon: I call Asha Bhosle aai (Mother)

I met Ashaji (Bhosle) and Pancham da (RD Burman) during the making of Yeh Vaada Raha, and over the last 30-40 years we’ve grown closer. I now call her ‘aai’. Till date she cooks prawns for me and won’t let the maids take over at any point. We celebrated her 90th birthday in Dubai together. Also, Padmini Kolhapure and I have a long friendship, we grew up together as teens, and we know everything about each other. Jackie Shroff too has always been there; I’m also fond of his wife Ayesha. Once my son Anmol had a bad knee injury and surgery, I wasn’t at home, but Jackie came visited and gifted him his favourite sunglasses. These friendships are not for social media, these are people I genuinely bond with.

Kabir Bedi: I was supposed to meet Vinod Khanna three days before he passed away

I’ve had a lifelong friendship with Shekhar Kapur, who I’ve known since our days at St Stephen’s College, Delhi. We’ve been in and out of each other’s homes in Mumbai, London and Los Angeles, and share love for philosophy, current affairs and spirituality. I had an interesting friendship with Vinod Khanna too, we featured together in my debut Kuchhe Dhaage and bonded over our love for horse riding. When I moved to Hollywood, Vinod came to Oregon for Osho, and would often visit my home and tell me all the gossip about the ashram. I was supposed to meet him three days before he passed away, but things didn’t work out.

Aruna Irani: I have been close to Rishi and Neetu Kapoor

I have been close to Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Rajesh Khanna, Jeetendra, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit. Smita used to tell me that even after I die, people would hear my laughter 300 Kms away. I think we also bonded because we were in similar relationships. We used to discuss our relatio nships, it was the same connect with Hema Malini and Shabana. Rajesh Khanna used to call me ‘behen’ (sister) and I was also friends with Dimple Kapadia.