Feroz called me 'Celine, baby'!

Celina Jaitley, who debuted in Bollywood with Feroz Khan���s Janasheen, remembers the larger-than-life star
Feroz Khan was known as the most stylish actor on and off screen. How did you see him?
More than stylish, he was among the most sentimental and kindest people I knew. He did everything with great passion. He was a fan of Oscar Wilde and Urdu poetry.He read a lot. He also hated the fact that Islam was misinterpreted and misused by the Taliban and other terrorist groups. He always said that Islam taught people to love and respect each other. I will always remember him as a man amongst men.
Do you remember the first time you met him?
Of course! The first time I spoke to him was when he called me right after I had won the swimsuit round at the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico. ���Celine baby, there���s a film waiting for you when you���re back,��� he said. Back in Bangalore, where my dad was then posted, he sent a car to pick me up. I was totally spoilt and treated like a princess on the sets. He completely went out his way for me. I connected with him in a way one can���t explain; he was like a soulmate. Fardeen, Laila and I spent many lovely evenings out with him.
Was he more a friend when you all went out together?
He could put all of us young people to shame. He was so classy, so dignified. I grew up under him; he has taught me so much about the industry, about life. He respected women and taught me to follow my dreams no matter what... let the dogs bark, Celine baby, he said. He never called me Celina, it was always Celine baby and soon, his family took to calling me that too.
Is there any incident that stands out in your memory?
I remember when we were in Lucknow for the promotion of Janasheen, and we saw a boy studying under a streetlight on a cold winter night, with barely a shawl on him. Feroz stopped the car, took off his coat, emptied his wallet and gave it to the boy. He hated making a fuss about these things.
Did you keep in touch with him after Janasheen?
There was never a time that I wasn���t in touch with him. We spoke every couple of weeks and tried to meet for dinner about once a month.
What movies did he enjoy?
He loved Western films. And among his movies, he particularly liked Dharmatma and Qurbani.
What are your favourite Feroz Khan films?
My favourites are Dharmatma, Qurbani and Janasheen, his last film as a director.
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