‘As soon as Salman saw me, he immediately left Aamir’s side and came towards me.’
‘Then he introduced me to Aamir, saying, “This is J K Bihari who launched me in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi“.’
Salman Khan became an overnight star with Sooraj Barjatya’s Maine Pyaar Kiya but that wasn’t the film that launched him.
He was, in fact, launched the year before in 1988’s Biwi Ho To Aisi, starring Rekha and Farooque Shaikh.
It was J K Bihari, also making his directorial debut, who ‘discovered’ Salman.
Mr. Bihari had assisted K Asif on his post-Mughal-e-Azam release, Love And God before he moved on to working with filmmaker K C Bokadia.
“Salman had so much innocence, and the way he used to talk… Sooraj Barjatya just had to take him!” Mr. Bihari tells Ronjita Kulkarni/Rediff. “He took the risk and see where they reached — Sooraj Barjatya became a big director and Salman became a big star.”
Biwi Ho Toh Aisi starred Rekha in the titular role. How did you get her to say yes?
I had the subject with me, so I went up and met her. She was shooting with Dharmendra at the time.
I met her manager Farzana and explained that it was the title role of my film.
In those days, Rekha would not work with first-time directors. She only worked with established directors.
But my kismet was good.
She asked me who I had assisted earlier. I said, K Asif. She said, ‘okay, okay, I’m doing your film.’
People had told me that you’re making the film with Rekha, it will get stuck. But nothing like that happened.
We completed and released the film in six months.
Since I was associated with K C Bokadia — we have done at least 15, 20 films together — the rest of the cast like Kadar Khan, Asrani and Bindu knew me and had already signed up for the film.
How did you cast Salman Khan?
There was a need for one boy, who played Rekha’s devar (brother-in-law).
Someone had told Salman that I was looking for someone for my film.
I was sitting in my office on Linking Road, Khar (north west Mumbai), when I saw Salman walking up the road. He was carrying a file in his hand.
I didn’t even know him but I said, ‘Whoever this boy is, I will take him.’
I asked Salman, ‘You want to work?’
He said, ‘Yes, sir.’
I said, ‘Fine, we will select you.’
I did not ask him whose son he is or what his past work was, nothing.
I just saw him and selected him.
He himself was surprised.
You didn’t audition him?
No. In those days, there were no auditions.
Auditions and the casting process came in much later.
Did you know he was Salim Khan’s son?
I came to know that later. If I had been told earlier, maybe I wouldn’t have taken him because Salim Khan was such a big writer.
What was he like as an actor?
Sometimes I would lose my temper if he didn’t get his dialogues right, but Rekha would step in and help him.
Farooque Shaikh would treat Salman like a brother. So there was never any problem.
Did he get a vanity van in those days?
Not at all.
Even Rekha didn’t have one.
She had a makeup room in the bungalow, where we were shooting.
We never even saw a vanity van then.
Maine Pyaar Kiya released the next year. Had he signed up for that while working in Biwi Ho To Aisi?
I had signed him up for three films, and he had simply signed.
There was no time period mentioned in the contract. So even if I made the second film many years later, he would have to do it, and he couldn’t do films for other producers until my three films were done.
When he got the Rajshri movie, they asked if he had signed a contract with me. He said yes.
So they asked him to get an NOC (em>no objection certificate) from me.
I was at a recoding at Mehboob Studio, and I saw him, standing and waiting for me.
He explained that he was getting a film from the Rajshris and that they needed an NOC from me.
I asked him, ‘Are you sure you’re getting the film? He said yes.
I knew the Barjatyas well, including Sooraj Barjatya’s father, Raj Kumar Barjatya.
So the next day, I called him to my office and tore up the contract. I said, ‘If you’re getting another film, you should take it.’ So he got that film.
Didn’t Salman want a launch as a hero to start with?
Actually, he just wanted a role. He knew Rekha had the leading role, and that he had the character role of the devar when he came to me.
He just wanted a film because he was getting rejected everywhere before that.
Rajshri’s halat was pretty bad in those days, but they made this one big film and it became a blockbuster!
Sooraj Barjatya had come to my set later and said he couldn’t take Salman in his film.
But Salman had so much innocence, and the way he used to talk… Sooraj Barjatya just had to take him!
He took the risk and see where they reached — Sooraj Barjatya became a big director and Salman became a big star.
Biwi Hai Toh Aisi was a hit too.
Yes, yes, absolutely.
It worked in many places like Uttar Pradesh, where it was a silver jubilee.
Regal theatre in Mumbai, in those days, would not screen Hindi films but it screened Biwi Ho To Aisi and it did well.
Even today, people enjoy it on TV.
When people meet me, and I’m introduced as the man who made Biwi Ho Toh Aisi, they’re like, ‘Oh, so you made that film! What kamaal ka picture hai!‘
Did you stay in touch with Salman?
I did for a while, milna-julna tha, but then he got busy.
I was also busy with my second film, Intiha Pyar Ki, starring Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia. I introduced Ruksar in that.
When did you meet Salman last?
Some years ago, when I called him, his secretary Reshma Shetty answered the phone.
I told her, ‘I am J K Bihari, I want to meet Salman, how can we meet?’ She said she will ask and get back.
Within 10 minutes, she called back and said he was shooting at Mehboob Studio. She asked if I could come right away.
I needed a little time, so I said I will come the next day.
The next day, I went to Mehboob Studio.
When he was informed that I had come, he came out with Aamir Khan.
As soon as Salman saw me, he immediately left Aamir’s side and came towards me. He hugged me.
Then he introduced me to Aamir, saying, ‘This is J K Bihari, who had launched me in Biwi Ho Toh Aisi.’
I knew Aamir too; I had met him during Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. I had a good relationship with his father Tariq Hussain.
Then Salman and I chatted for two-three hours.
I told that my son Summit wants to direct a feature film, and we have the script. It’s a musical love story.
He had said, ‘Of course, I will help you.’
But then, I had a health problem. I had to undergo bypass surgery.
Then COVID happened. So the project got delayed.
Now, we need to meet and discuss the project again.
Even if he doesn’t produce it, if he just gives his name to the film and presents it, that will be enough.
It would be so interesting that I gave him a break to Salman and now, all these years later, he will give my son a break.
You didn’t direct a film again, after Intiha Pyar Ki. Why is that?
I faced a setback in my company and because of that, went through a phase of depression. Then I went to Madras.
I knew a lot of people there, and took up work as a ghost writer. I have done quite a few films there.
How did you begin your career?
I used to do bit jobs here and there, and once on my day off, I went to Kamal Amrohi’s studio. A shoot was going on.
Someone there asked me if I would like to work in the canteen.
In those days, I had never even heard the word ‘canteen’, and didn’t know what it meant. But I took up the job.
I worked my way up, and soon became the manager of the canteen. I would meet people in the canteen, and that’s where I met Javed Akhtar.
He used to work in Kamal Amrohi’s writing department. We became good friends, and would help each other too.
In fact, he brought Salim Khan to the canteen at Kamal Studio for the first time after Sholay.
Years later, when I signed Salman for Biwi Ho To Aisi, he had invited me home. I thought maybe Salman wouldn’t do the film.
But his mother said that ‘Salman naya hai, aap bhi naye hai, soch samajh kar film banana.’
I said, definitely, please give your blessings, and they did.
How did you become a director?
One of the people I met at Kamal Studios was someone who worked with K Asif, and they were going to go to Rajasthan for a shoot (for Love And God). He offered to set up a meeting for me.
I was going to go for the job of a spot boy. But on the way to the meeting, this person — he was Asifsaab‘s personal assistant — coached me to ask for a job in the direction team.
So when Asifsaab asked me what I wanted to do, I just blurted, ‘Direction’.
I started assisting him and he would take me along with him everywhere.
That’s when I decided to become a director.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
