by Chaitanya Padukone
Rarely does one get to watch Bollywood star-actress Rekha clad in an ethnic ‘nau-vaari’ saree enjoying herself while gyrating to iconic ‘item-song’ laavni which goes ‘Kutthe Kutthe Jaayacha Honeymoon-La’ from the golden jubilee-hit Marathi movie ‘Fataakdi’ (1980) which has its producer-actress Sushama Shiromanee playing the title role.
The award-winning ‘evergreen’ actress-film-maker Shiromanee has set this unique trend-setting record achievement that in all her Marathi movie productions (mostly in the ‘80s decade) she has cast a popular top-star Bollywood actress or actor in an ethnic laavni ‘item-song’. Like for instance in ‘Bhingri’ (agile Aruna Irani), in ‘Fataakdi’ ( ravishing Rekha created a sensation), in ‘Gulchhadi’ ( charming Rati Agnihotri ) and in ‘Bhannat Bhanu’ (exuberant Moushumi Chatterjee ) . Prior to that in ‘Mosambi Narangi’, the dynamic Shiromanee had none other than evergreen star-hero Jeetendra wearing a ‘pheta-turban ’, dancing to the ethnic Marathi song tunes.
That Sushama (always an active honorary IMPPA office-bearer and was its past President as well) has abundant admiration and respect from among the Bollywood top-stars is evident with the prompt co-operation that she got when she approached each of them for her various regional movies. Enthuses madame Shiromanee, as she jogs down memory lane, “ None of these top Hindi film stars charged me a single rupee and performed free-of-charge as a goodwill gesture. Although they were busy, they went-out-of-the way to instantly block and allot their earliest dates for my movie-shoots. What is so very heartening, is that they were all super- excited that they would be wearing traditional Maharashtrian ethnic attires and ornaments-accessories while they would be cavorting to Marathi songs-folk tunes”. Continues Sushama, “In fact, I remember, that since there was some political curfew-restrictions the next day, the concerned Rekha was so enthusiastic and dedicated that she rushed to Rajkamal Studios (Parel), the previous night, so that she could start shooting for ‘Kutthe Kutthe Jaaycha..’ early next morning with her laavni costume get-up,” recalls the senior actress-producer Shiromanee who has also ‘produced’ two Hindi movies including ‘Pyar Ka Karz ( 1990) with Mithun and Dharmendra followed by ‘Kanoon’ (1994) with Ajay Devgn, which she also directed.When asked to comment about the Marathi movie ‘Boyz’(2017), where Indo-Canadian oomph-girl Sunny Leone danced to reprised-snatches from the Rekha-centric retro-song which now was converted into a remixed Indo-Western pop-fusion track, the miffed yet cool Sushama shares her reactions. “The original song ‘Kutthe Kutthe..’ in which ‘incomparable’ Rekha has danced so fabulously in my movie ‘Fataakdi’, is an ultimate classic-benchmark. No other dancer can ever try to even match Rekha’s screen-charisma and dancing calibre. Even Sunny Leone also mentioned that, I believe.” Then she discloses why she felt upset. “But I humbly wish that the producers or the director of ‘Boyz’ could have ideally ‘acknowledged’ my name for my innovative initiative in their media interviews or in the rolling movie credit-titles,” signs off ‘rebel’ Sushama, who defied the docile, shy female screen-stereotypes in Marathi cinema.. Only to cast herself as the lead heroine character of an action-oriented-daring-angry-young-woman in all her “golden jubilee hits” retro-regional (‘80s) Marathi movies, which are being avidly watched even today by all generations. ( The writer Chaitanya Padukone is an eminent senior film-journalist who has also authored the memoirs book ‘R D Burmania’)
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