Mahesh Bhatt’s directorial journey spans some of Hindi cinema’s most influential films and actor Mushtaq Khan became one of the familiar faces in several of his projects. However, their professional association did not begin easily. Mushtaq recently recalled how difficult it was to even get a few minutes with the filmmaker in the 1980s, and how his lack of a telephone made waiting for an opportunity even harder.
Mushtaq Khan recalls his first meeting with Mahesh Bhatt
Speaking on the Savita Aseem Podcast, Mushtaq Khan looked back at the period when Mahesh Bhatt was at the height of his directorial career. After films such as ‘Arth’ and ‘Saaransh’, the filmmaker was already an established name, making it difficult for aspiring actors to get an audience with him.“At that time, it was very difficult to meet him even for two minutes. You couldn’t even imagine it. And he used to talk a lot in English, while I was a village guy. So, I kept wondering how to make it happen,” Mushtaq recalled.His eventual introduction to Bhatt came through screenwriter Salim Khan, who had recommended the actor for a role in ‘Naam’ (1986), his first solo script after his professional separation from Javed Akhtar.
Salim Khan’s recommendation opened the door
Salim Khan asked Mushtaq to meet Mahesh Bhatt at a studio where the director was shooting. Mushtaq eventually managed to meet him, but the interaction did not immediately result in a role.“I finally met Mahesh Bhatt with great difficulty and after summoning up a lot of courage,” the actor recalled.Bhatt acknowledged Salim Khan’s recommendation but told Mushtaq that he did not have a suitable part for him in Naam. Instead, he directed him towards his brothers, producer Mukesh Bhatt and screenwriter Robin Bhatt, who assured him that they would contact him when an appropriate role became available.
Mushtaq Khan waited for a call without even having a phone
The next challenge was surprisingly basic: Mushtaq did not have a telephone at home. He did not even have a landline through which the Bhatt brothers could reach him.“I’d pay Rs 1 per message to a grocer nearby to tell me if I got any calls. After struggling the entire day, I’d go to the grocer every evening to ask if I got any calls,” he said.For nearly two weeks, there was no news. Then, after 15 days, the grocer finally had a message for him.“But he’d say no. After 15 days, he finally told me I got a call from Mahesh Bhatt,” Mushtaq recalled.That call eventually led to his first film with the filmmaker.
‘Kabzaa ’ became Mushtaq Khan’s first Mahesh Bhatt film
Mushtaq landed a role in Mahesh Bhatt’s 1988 action-crime drama Kabzaa, which starred Raj Babbar, Sanjay Dutt, Dimple Kapadia and Amrita Singh. The actor played Tiwari, an associate of Paresh Rawal’s character Veljibhai Soda.His performance in the film impressed Bhatt and led to another opportunity.“I did a scene in that film, which Bhatt sahab liked a lot. So, he gave me a good, bigger role in ‘Swayam’, a telefilm he made with Waheeda Rehman and Akarsh Khurana,” Mushtaq said.
Mushtaq Khan praises Mahesh Bhatt’s eye for performance
Mushtaq also recalled Bhatt’s attention to an actor’s body language, saying the filmmaker could immediately recognise when an artiste was not fully immersed in a character.“Even if an actor just had to walk in a shot and not even say a word, he’d call cut within two seconds. ‘I can see in your body language that you’re not in character,’ he’d say,” the actor recalled.According to Mushtaq, that approach played an important role in extending their professional association.“So, after that, Bhatt sahab didn’t let go of me at all,” he added.
Mushtaq Khan and Mahesh Bhatt have worked together on several films
Following ‘Kabzaa’ and ‘Swayam’, Mushtaq became a recurring presence in Bhatt’s films during the late 1980s and 1990s. Their collaborations included the musical romance ‘Aashiqui’ (1990), ‘Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin’ (1991), ‘Saathi’ (1991), ‘Sadak’ (1991), ‘Junoon’ (1992), ‘Gunaah’ (1993), ‘Sir’ (1993), ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’ (1993), ‘Gumrah’ (1993), ‘Naaraaz’ (1994) and ‘Chaahat’ (1996). The actor’s association with Bhatt continued until the filmmaker gradually stepped back from directing after ‘Zakhm’ (1998).