Suchitra Krishnamurthy On Being Directed by Kundan Shah

“My God! It’s so  long ago…And now Kundan Shah has gone. I learnt so much working with him. I was so  young and so raw. But I wanted to be an actor. I auditioned for  the role in Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa.

And was pleasantly surprised when I was selected to  star opposite Shah Rukh Khan. We  shot mostly in Goa , and then some inMumbai. I  remember the sweltering heat in  Goa.And  how much I’d cry(laughs).

Kundan would tell me to do a scene one way and I’d do it another. He would then get upset, and I’d burst into tears. Those days I cried a  lot. I have very pleasant memories of working in KabhiHaan Kabhi Na. I did keep in touch with Kundan after that.

In recent times I had promised to take  my daughter Kaveri to meet him over a meal. Unfortunately  it  didn’t happen. I remember Kundan Shah as alearned articulate softspoken man who made cult classics  like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Na.

If his later  works didn’t make the same  impact it was because he couldn’t understand the changing politics and economics of  the entertainment industry.”