The Hindu : New Delhi News : A new innings for ‘Joy’ of yesteryears

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 29, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

New Delhi

New Delhi

A new innings for ‘Joy’ of yesteryears

Joy Mukherjee

Eternal romantic Hindi film hero Joy Mukherjee has broken the stereotype and is now playing a doting grandfather in a small screen soap opera. In conversation with Madhur Tankha....

Yesteryears Hindi film actor Joy Mukherjee feels that his good fortune of having hailed from a famous family paved the way for his smooth entry into the highly competitive film industry in the 1960s.

The septuagenarian actor says he was stereotyped as a “romantic hero” in the film industry because of the candy-floss type of roles he played in his younger days. “I have finally broken this stereotype and am playing a doting grandfa ther in the soap opera ‘Aye Dil-e-Nadan’ on DD1. While my real son Sujoy is playing my screen grandson, my other son Monjoy is the main villain. In fact, Sujoy is playing an egoistic character who has ruined a girl’s life.”

Excited about his ongoing soap opera that has a big cast of actors including Varsha Usgaonkar, Sudha Chandran, Tej Sapru and Sheetal Maulik, the romantic hero of the 1960s says he is displaying the same energy and enthusiasm in his home production as he was during his hey-days on the big screen. “Based on human relationships and social values, the serial’s protagonist is Sujoy. He is playing a powerful character with grey shades as Vikram. Sheetal Maulik is playing the lead role as Simran.”

Joy has a vast experience on celluloid having worked with some of the acclaimed filmmakers of yesteryears. And though Joy is facing the camera after a long gap, he has still managed to adjust to the new shooting style of the highly competitive television industry. “Initially I struggled to do 12 scenes at one go but now I have adapted myself to the new shooting style.”

Son of Sashadhar Mukherjee, who was a successful producer and founder of Filmistan Studios, Joy says with legendary playback singer Kishore Kumar being his relative, he had no dearth of guidance.

As luck would have it, Joy’s first film opposite the ravishing Sadhana in “Love in Simla” set the cash registers ringing. Directed by R.K. Nayyar, the film was special for Joy as it went on to establish him as the eternal romantic hero.

“I played a young boy who had passed out of college and was going to a hill station to meet his fiancé. In real life my character was close to the reel one. I was studying psychology at St. Xavier College when the role was offered to me. The film was a light musical with slapstick comedy. With just one film my career in films took off to a roaring start and I had to abandon my studies.”

Recalling his debut film, Joy says it was his first trip to one of the famous North Indian hill stations of Shimla. “Even though it was my first film, I was not at all nervous acting opposite Sadhna as she was just a new girl then. In fact, I have never been intimidated acting opposite accomplished stars because I only concentrated on the character I was playing. Even in those days, filmmakers gave me scripts and I always had dad to give me valuable suggestions.”

Looking back at his film career with satisfaction, Joy says his personal interest in “Hum Saaya” ensured that the film won the best critics and best director awards. “The film produced and directed by me had me in a double role. It was about an Indian soldier and a Chinese soldier who dies in the battlefield. The Chinese soldier’s girlfriend comes to India to search for him.”

Describing “Shagird” as the biggest blockbuster of his time, Joy says the song “Bade Miya Deewane” is still a rage among the older generation of film lovers.

After this, he paired up with Asha Parekh for several hits like “Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon” and “Ziddi”.

He tasted success with his home production “Ek Baar Muskura Do” with brother Deb Mukherjee and later to be sister-in-law Tanuja. The rip-roaring success of his film “Chailla Babu”, a film starring Zeenat Aman and Rajesh Khanna proved that his directorial skills were as intact as his acting.

A food connoisseur, Joy enjoys partaking of non-vegetarian stuff, especially fish which he has a special fondness for. But advancing age and health reasons have forced him to eat boiled food. “But I take fish once or twice a week,” he says with a chuckle.

An inveterate traveller, Joy’s favourite tourist destination is Switzerland and Mahabaleshwar. “I like travelling with my son Sujoy. Wherever he goes I accompany him.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi