One doesn’t need to have a lengthy screen time to make a mark. Deepak Tijori proved it in Ghulam (1998). He was there in just three scenes, all of which are arguably the most memorable parts of the Aamir Khan-Rani Mukerji starrer. The scene at the railway track has assumed cult status. As Ghulam celebrates its 25th anniversary on June 19, Bollywood Hungama went down memory lane and talked exclusively to Deepak Tijori about the film, his experience and a lot more.

How did you bag Ghulam? Ghulam went on floors 1 ½ years before its release. I knew about it and that it has a good script. I had no idea that someday, I’ll become a part of it. The makers were looking out for a suitable actor to play Charlie. Though it had little screen time, it was a very prominent character. They had considered a lot of actors, but nothing worked.

One fine day, I got a call from Mukesh ji (producer Mukesh Bhatt). Earlier, I had turned down a few of their films as I was not happy with my role or the script. Hence, the first thing Mukesh ji told me was, ‘Dekh, mujhe malum hai Tijori ki tujhe na bolne ki bahut aadat hai! Lekin tu ek baar pehle story aa ke sunn le’. I felt a little embarrassed as he’s such a senior man and he was talking me that way (smiles)! I assured him that I’ll surely come to their office and hear the narration.

Those were the days when a lot of people would call me to do cameos or small roles. Some of the biggest directors would narrate the whole script to me. I would learn that my part was so minuscule that even if they edit it out, it wouldn’t change the script at all. I have been blatant about it to a couple of big directors about it. I would ask them, ‘Boss, agar mera role nikal gaya, toh aap film bana paaoge?’. They were senior people and would get a jolt when I would ask this question. I would add, ‘I don’t mind that I am not doing the main role. The problem is that the film would be made even without my part. Toh fir mere role ka matlab nahin hai. Agar aapki film zyada lambi ho gayi, toh sabse pehle mera role katega na’!

I expected something similar for Ghulam as well. I met Vicky (director Vikram Bhatt) and I asked him to narrate only my scenes. He agreed. So, I didn’t know the story of the film, but I liked the way he narrated, and I also liked the script. This is when I learned that just like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992), even here, it was Aamir Khan who recommended me. I was happy to know that. When I heard my part, I realized where Aamir is coming from.

After the narration, I told Vicky that I’ll do the film. I then met Mukesh ji and told him, ‘Main film kar raha hoon. Paise ki baat toh aapse kar nahin sakta kyunki aap jo dena chahte ho, wohi dete ho. Hum jitna maangte hai, utna toh aap dete nahin ho. Toh aap mujhe dates bata dena’! Mukesh ji started laughing and said, ‘Tu paagal aadmi hai’. I replied, ‘Jaisa hoon, aap hi ka hoon’! I have grown up in Bhatt saab and Mukesh ji’s office. I owed everything to them and still do. I always felt like they are family to me. So, whatever they would pay me, I would accept it.

How was it working with Rani Mukerji? Rani was very friendly and a very sweet girl. It was my first meeting with her. She had done a film earlier, but she was correct for her role in Ghulam. Aamir, I and Rani shared a great equation on the sets.

How was it to shoot the classic ‘Dus Dus Ki Daud’ scene on the railway track? Those days, there was no clear-cut thing that mera do din ka kaam hai ya paanch din ka kaam hai. It was like ‘Jitna scene ko time lagega, utne din hum lenge’. I came on the set and felt happy to see that the character was given more power than I had imagined. I was happy with the way the shoot progressed.

We shot in Sanpada. It’s quite far and used to take 1 ½ hours to reach the location. We shot there for 12 nights. Once in a while, Mukesh ji would land up on the sets and would keep pushing us. He used to tell us, ‘Theek se shoot karo. Poora yard book kiya hai yeh shoot ke liye. Bahut paise daale hai’ (laughs)! Anyway, we were working hard, and he motivated us even further.

During the shoot of ‘Dus Dus Ki Daud’ scene, Vicky fell ill. He could not come to the sets. It was a crazy situation. Mukesh ji panicked as he had booked the whole place. Even the local trains were running as per our requirements. It was a costly affair and for those days, it was an incredibly big sequence. There were more than 200 people on the sets including the action team and the actors playing the biker gang members.

Mukesh ji called Vicky and told him, ‘Tum phone pe direct karo. Bhatt saab phone pe direct karte hai. Tum bhi karo’! Vicky then called Aamir and told him, ‘Tu aur Deepak shoot kar lo yaar’. Aamir asked, ‘Shoot kar lo matlab kya shoot karein?’. Vicky replied, ‘Kuch bhi shoot kar lo. Close-up shots le lo’. Aamir then started taking some shots. However, then he realized that his vision will be different from that of Vicky’s. Hence he made it clear that he was not going to step into Vicky’s shoes. He then put the ball in my court and asked me to take charge. I categorically said, ‘Paagal ho gaya hai kya? Main nahin kar raha’ (laughs). This was the time when I was neither a director nor even thinking of being one. He then told Mukesh ji that he won’t be able to direct. Thankfully, from the next day onwards, Vicky resumed shooting though he was not fully well.

Did Aamir Khan shoot himself for the scene where he runs in the direction of the train? Yes. He is very diligent in that matter. He was devoted. Even in the rehearsals, he would run with full force.

How was it to shoot on the track with the train so close to you? For the last part of the shot, the junior artists were not there. There was only Aamir, me, the train motorman and some VFX guys. As per the scene, I trip on the tracks while running. I freeze and this is when Aamir pulls me out. Now we are used to this thing that ‘Gaadi ka driver brake maar dega time pe’. We expected the motorman to do the same. But he told us, ‘Dekho, mere paas aisa brake nahin hota hai. Tum log yeh mat sochna ki main brake maarunga aur gaadi ruk jaayegi. Tum log please distance rakhna. Accident nahin hona chahiye’. Aamir and I look at each other in fear and were like ‘Oh my God’ (laughs).

We rehearsed a couple of times to understand how much time the train takes to cover a distance. Accordingly, we decided when to move away from the tracks. Yet, we tried to make it as close and nail-biting as possible. It was scary as I was lying on the tracks and Aamir had to pull me. So, everything was depending on him. Thankfully, it went off well.

How do you look back at this scene? And what was the audience's reaction like? I thank Aamir for recommending me and giving me another feather in my cap. I’ll never forget the experience. It is one of the most memorable sequences of my career. I never thought these three scenes would become so iconic. The film also did well. Travelling to Sanpada for 12 nights was worth it!

It was amazing to see this scene in cinemas with the audience. There was a frenzy in the theatres. Unfortunately, some people took it too seriously and began emulating it in real life. I heard that some people even died while trying to do the stunt. It led to many people blaming us and asking us to be more careful while showing such stuff on screen. We then spread the word that these scenes are done by professionals or under professional guidance and that one must not attempt to copy the stunts. We also had to put a disclaimer. It was one of the first instances wherein disclaimers started being inserted in films.

I also remember there were a lot of claps for the scene where your character saves Siddhu (Aamir Khan) in the pre-climax… I remember we met for some occasion after the film was released. Aamir told me, ‘Tujhe pata hai, tu jab wapis aata hai na end mein, kya seetiyan aur taaliyan bajti hai theatre mein. Mereko samaj nahin aa raha hai tha ki film ka hero tu hai ya main hoon’ (laughs)!

Nevertheless, it was a team effort. We should also not forget scriptwriter Anjum Rajabali. He wrote an incredible script.

What was also unforgettable in the film was the song ‘Aati Kya Khandala’… Its lyricist Nitin Raikwar used to come on the sets. ‘Aati Kya Khandala’ was not even shot at that time. He used to make us hear the song. The moment he would go ‘Aye, Kya Bolti Tu’, we used to get amazed kyunki iss tarah ka lyrics bahut naya tha hamare liye. You won’t believe it, even before the song was recorded, the unit members were already singing ‘Aati Kya Khandala’ on the sets! Hence, we knew this is going to be a sure-shot hit.

Could you tell us which films of Bhatts did you turn down? It was Bhatt saab’s Angaaray (1998). It starred Akshay Kumar and Nagarjuna. I am like his child and when I refused to do the film, he was like, ‘Paagal hai tu. Samajta nahin hai’! I remember the producer, who’s also my friend, told me, ‘Tujhe set pe roz gaaliyan padti hai’ as I turned down the film! He does that to people whom he loves and cares for (smiles).

Also Read: 25 years of Ghulam: From Aamir Khan’s refusal to work with Mahesh Bhatt to Rajit Kapur’s foray into commercial cinema, here are some known facts about the film

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