Bollywood: Juhi Chawla on her 'Sharmaji Namkeen' journey with Rishi Kapoor

Being an integral part of the swansong of a much-loved Bollywood star was both poignant and fulfilling for the lovely Juhi Chawla.

The versatile actress who has endeared herself to a loyal fanbase over decades, with memorable roles in films like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Yes Boss, Bol Radha Bol and 3 Deewarein, is currently celebrating the success of her most recent project, Sharmaji Namkeen, also the last film that industry stalwart Rishi Kapoor worked on before he passed away in April 2020.

Sharmaji Namkeen, streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, is a feel-good, light-hearted tale about a retiree, Brij Gopal Sharma, who is at a loss as to how to fill his time when he’s laid off, eventually finding fulfillment in cooking for and mingling with a ladies ‘kitty’ gang, that includes Veena Manchanda (Chawla), a widow who owns a boutique.

Juhi shared moments from the heartwarming journey of Sharmaji Namkeen, whose quirky characters and situations had her “laughing” when it was first narrated.

“It was just a wonderful script, and there was no way I was going to say anything else but ‘yes’,” she told City Times in a Zoom conversation.

“I knew right away that Chintu ji (Rishi Kapoor) was going to play Sharmaji. And I was envious of him, because... what a lovely role to play! You could almost just imagine him doing it, because it was just so apt. The casting was fantastic.”

Having shared screen space with Rishi Kapoor in many films, the initial shooting was a breeze for Juhi in the Delhi winter, where everyone “had a lovely time”.

“Of course Chintu ji was his usual self — sometimes grumpy, sometimes impatient — and always brilliant, always witty! Such a wonderful, effortless actor. Ek to weather itna accha, phir hamare scenes itne cute se, mazedaar (firstly the weather was so good and then, our scenes so cute and fun-filled).”

After over a week of shooting, Juhi shared, she took a break in Mumbai before heading back for the next phase of the film.

“I came back and a day or so later they called up and said, wait, don’t come back, we’re going to take a break from shooting because Chintu ji is not feeling very well. So we will resume when he is better.”

She gets emotional recalling how, just a few months later, Rishi Kapoor was no longer with them. “We’d had such a funny time with him on the sets… losing an actor who you have laughed (both) with and at, was really shattering.”

Could the shooting of Sharmaji Namkeen continue without its lead star around whom the story revolved? Producer Ritesh Sidhwani seemed to think so, and called Juhi to relay news of an important decision.

Anything for Rishi Kapoor

She recalled, “He said, you know what, it’s his last work and we are going to take it to the end. We will complete the film. I was like, that’s so lovely, because it’s so much easier to just give up on a film and say, you know, it’s not meant to be, forget it.”

Ritesh said he would do whatever it takes, and Juhi reiterated her commitment to Sharmaji Namkeen. “I said I would do anything at all for Chintu ji and the film. Just let me know. Say it, and I’ll be there.”

Options including computer graphics were considered, to fill the rather big shoes of the late thespian. Then Juhi was told that another actor was being considered for the same role, to complete ‘Sharmaji’ scenes that were left unfinished; Hollywood films had succeeded in the same circumstances, and this one hopefully would too, the makers assured her.

She said, “So that’s where it began, and a month or so later we filmed with Paresh(Rawal) ji. And now, the film was complete and releasing and you say, gosh, but how will it go down over here?”

A visibly emotional Juhi said, “It hit me, very recently... an actor of that calibre and (the amount of work he’s done), it’s amazing that his last work, has been with me.”