Veteran actor Shekhar Suman recently shared an interesting insight about Bollywood icon Rekha, revealing a lesser-known aspect of her personality. According to him, Rekha holds a deep admiration for yesteryear star Mumtaz, which even reflects in her style and expressions on screen.Opening up about this unique connection, Shekhar Suman shared with IANS, “She is obsessed with Mumtaz, which very few people know, and she mimics her very well. I even made her do it. Even her mannerisms have an influence of Mumtaz.” He added that anyone who closely observes Rekha’s gestures and performance style can notice subtle traces of Mumtaz’s influence.Rekha and Shekhar Suman shared screen in ‘Utsav’Interestingly, Rekha and Shekhar Suman shared screen space in ‘Utsav’, which marked Shekhar’s debut. Directed by Girish Karnad and produced by Shashi Kapoor, the film is based on the classical Sanskrit play ‘Mrichakatika’. Rekha played the courtesan Vasantasena, while Shekhar portrayed Charudatta, set against the backdrop of ancient Ujjain.‘Utsav’ featured a strong ensemble including Shankar Nag, Amjad Khan, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, and Kulbhushan Kharbanda. The film blended romance and drama, narrating the emotional journey of two individuals from different social backgrounds who cross paths under unusual circumstances.
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Shekhar Suman on acting and the importance of languageApart from his revelations, Shekhar Suman also expressed concern over how language and diction are often overlooked in modern cinema. He said, “Along with acting, I also wanted to really focus on the speech as both these things are closely connected to one another. Today’s actors often mispronounce common words. What do you expect from such people in the industry where Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan are known for their command over the language?”He further added, “In fact, all over the world – it may be Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, or Anthony Hopkins – they are all known due to their language. Acting, speech, behaviour, all these things move together simultaneously.”Shekhar Suman work frontShekhar Suman portrayed Nawab Zulfiqar in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series ‘Heeramandi’, earning praise for his commanding screen presence and nuanced performance, which added depth and gravitas to the narrative while leaving a strong impression despite limited screen time in the ensemble-driven period drama.
