The 100^th birth anniversary of Shakti Samanta, one of the finest filmmakers from India, took place on January 13. On this memorable occasion, Shakti Samanta’s son, Ashim Samanta, took a trip down memory lane and shared fascinating trivia from his father’s life. One of the highlights of the interview was when he spoke about An Evening In Paris (1968), starring Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore and its iconic song, ‘Aasman Se Aaya Farishta’.

"Sharmila Tagore actually wanted to wear a bikini in 'Aasman Se Aaya Farishta'; it was my father who suggested a one-piece" - Ashim Samanta

“Sharmila Tagore actually wanted to wear a bikini in ‘Aasman Se Aaya Farishta’; it was my father who suggested a one-piece” – Ashim Samanta

The song features Shammi Kapoor performing on a helicopter. Ashim Samanta told Radio Nasha, “‘Aasman Se Aaya Farishta’ was shot in Beirut. The suggestion to come in a helicopter was Shammi uncle’s. He told me father, ‘Yaar, agar helicopter se main jhulta hua aau, toh kaisa lagega?’. My father replied, ‘Bahut accha lagega’! He then realized his folly as he has vertigo, a fear of heights. But then he thought, ‘Shakti ko helicopter kahan milega Beirut mein?’. So, he went to sleep. The next day, my father woke him up and informed him that a helicopter has been arranged!”

Ashim Samanta continued, “Shammi uncle told me, ‘Yeh sunn ke meri fat gayi thi (laughs). Lekin main Shammi Kapoor hoon. Darr ne waala aadmi thodi hoon?’. So, he went to the bar in the hotel. It was closed. He approached the manager and asked him to open the bar. The manager was surprised, ‘Do you want to visit the bar at 10 in the morning?’! Shammi uncle replied in the affirmative. The bar was opened and he had two pegs of brandy. Then he said, ‘Helicopter kidhar hai? Chalo, Shakti’!”

The song is also remembered for Sharmila Tagore’s swimwear. Was it tough to convince her? Ashim Samanta replied, “In fact, she wanted to wear a bikini. It was my dad who suggested a one-piece. But she was absolutely cool to don a bikini. She was a modern girl. Also, she knew that she had a fabulous figure. However, shooting the song was a challenge as the helicopter made a lot of noise. Aise mein gaana sunayi kaise dega? But Shammi uncle was so musically inclined that he could pick up the song even in that situation. He lip-synced the song without listening to it. It’s unbelievable! Dad used to mime the song and he would follow him and give the expression. Yet, the timing was perfect.”

Ashim continued, “The noise was so much that Shammi uncle was not able to hear ‘Action’ and ‘Cut’. Hence, my dad told him that if he shakes the handkerchief, it would mean ‘Action’ and if he does it twice, it would mean ‘Cut’!”

Also Read: Sharmila Tagore describes granddaughter Sara Ali Khan as “very spontaneous and welcoming”

Tags : Aasman Se Aaya Farishta, Ashim Samanta, Bikini, Bollywood Features, Down The Memory Lane, Features, Flashback, Shakti Samanta, Shammi Kapoor, Sharmila Tagore, Throwback