Saqib Saleem Talks On-Set Kiss (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Saqib Saleem is currently in the news for his role of KD in Varun Dhawna’s Citadel: Hunny Bunny. He is also known for his roles in Dishoom and Rangbaaz. Earlier in his career, Saleem had worked in Bombay Talkies. In 2013, the movie made waves with its anthology format, featuring four short films by different directors, one of which was Karan
Johar’s Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh.
This short was notable for exploring a homosexual relationship. It starred Saqib Saleem and Randeep Hooda, roles rare in mainstream Indian cinema then. In a recent interview, Saqib Saleem revisited the experience of shooting a kissing scene with Randeep Hooda for the film.
The kissing scene with Randeep Hooda was shot in a single take.
In a recent conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Saqib Saleem revealed that the moment of the scene was filled with palpable tension, both for the actors and the crew. “Everybody on set was extremely tense,” Saqib recalls, “I wouldn’t say, ‘Wow, what a memorable scene,’ but I remember vividly, everybody on set was extremely tense. They were all thinking, ‘How are we going to shoot it, how many people will be present on set, who will say what?”
Despite the tensions, the scene was cleared after a single take. Saqib describes the aftermath as somewhat anticlimactic. “Karan said, ‘Okay, got it, moving on,’” Saqib remembers. “We were like, it’s okay, we don’t want to see; you got what you wanted, right?” Saqib revealed.
Saleem further praised Johar for this scene. At that time, homosexual characters were introduced in movies only for comic relief. Saleem thinks that “Bombay Talkies was one of the first films that brought it into the mainstream and gave a leading man that sexuality.” Nonetheless, that scene is quite memorable for Saleem as “it had created a weird environment on set. Quiet awkward.”
