“Chunnu-Munnu” – Subhash Ghai’s nicknames for Dilip Kumar, Raaj Kumar on ‘Saudagar’ sets helped ‘bitter rivals’ turn friends

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 28 (ANI): Legendary filmmaker Subhash Ghai famed for some of the iconic films in Indian film industry is credited with bringing together bitter rivals Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar in the 1991 film ‘Saudagar’.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Ghai recalled how he approached the duo who were then in their 60s and couldn’t stand each other at that time to play lead roles and how he ended up working with the legends who gradually lost their animosity.

Ghai said he first wrote the story before deciding on the actors.

“When first wrote the story I thought that it should be made wither with Amrish Puri and Anupam Kher or it with Dilip Kumar or Raaj Kumar… my choice was that it should be with Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar only because I wanted a film to be a high quality one. So I met them and narrated them the story,” the filmmaker told ANI.

“I told them (Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar) that as a director I can only guarantee that the roles of both the actors will be equal. It won’t be 59-40 but 50-50…You trust and we will make it… but I hear that you are not talking to each other… I hear that you don’t like each other… I hear that picture will not be made… many people ask me not to make this film with these people…so I have still come to you… they liked me honestly. They never troubled me,” Ghai recalled.

Ghai pointed out that he used his trademark technique of handling “star actors like children,” and to “become a mother” to them and it always was effective in smoothing ruffled egos. The ‘Showman’ filmmaker revealed that he nicknamed Dilip Kumar and Raaj Kumar “Chunnu and Munnu” and even the spot boys took to callingg them by those names.

“You have to be like mothers to the actors. When you become mother to stars then they like it, don’t be bossy. Then ultimately on the film’s sets we named both of them ‘Chunnu’ (Dilip Kumar) and ‘Munnu’ (Raaj Kumar). Even our spot boys used to say ‘Chunnu sahab aa gye…Munnu sahab aane waale hain’. Because you create a family atmosphere over there with the utmost honesty,” Ghai said.

“Later on they got to know that we call them Chunnu-Munnu and eventually they also became friends,” Ghai told ANI.

The filmmaker approached Dilip Kumar first and told him about the film and his co-star and then went to Raaj Kumar with the news.

Ghai recalled that when Raaj Kumar was told about acting with Dilip Kumar he paused for four few seconds and said “Bhai, aisa hai ki mein apne baad kissi ko actor maante hain to vo Dilip Kumar saab ko maaanta hoon (Brother, if I consider someone an actor after myself, it is Dilip Kumar).”

“That is how Raaj Kumar was, his attitude, style and thinking. But he was a very good man inside, he used to respect honest people,” recalls the veteran fillmaker.

‘Saudagar’ also starred Vivek Mushran, Manisha Koirala, Jackie Shroff and Amirsh Puri in pivotal roles.

Ghai’s notable works include ‘Kalicharan’, ‘Vishwanath’, ‘Karz’, ‘Hero’, ‘Vidhaata’, ‘Karma’, ‘Ram Lakhan’, ‘Khalnayak’, ‘Pardes’, and ‘Taal’.