Rekha’s co-star Biswajeet Chatterjee breaks silence on rumours he forcibly kissed her when she was 15: ‘Today, it is nothing…’; when actress said, ‘Nothing could’ve compensated…’

She was just 15 when her co-star, then 34, kissed her without her consent, leaving her in tears. In Yasser Usman’s biography of superstar Rekha, he shed light on an unsavoury moment she faced during her struggling period. During the shooting of the 1969 film Anjana Safar (later titled Do Shikaari), Biswajeet Chatterjee reportedly kissed her without her consent. Recently, the veteran actor addressed the controversy. In a chat with ANI, the Do Kaliyan star brushed it off, saying that the incident shouldn’t be treated as a controversy, as kissing scenes have become common in films these days. He did not reveal if he had sought consent from the Umrao Jaan star.

“In today’s age, that controversy does not matter. Today, on-screen kissing is nothing. Today’s bedroom scenes... I am shocked to watch them in films like Animal,” he said.

The actor said he and Rekha remained on cordial terms, and she acted in a movie where he was the producer and the director - the 1975 film Kahte Hain Mujhko Raja. “After that, she did my movie. I was the producer and director, and I talked to her. She worked in my movie. Controversy should be there. It should be said. It has to be said just for passing time,” he said.

The Kiss That Made Rekha Cry

Usman claimed director Kuljeet Pal and cinematographer Raj Nawathe conspired for the kiss to occur when the camera started rolling. The kiss continued for five minutes, while the entire cast and crew whistled at them, leaving her in tears and traumatised.

“This kiss had never been mentioned to her. The camera kept rolling; neither was the director ordering ‘cut’ nor was Biswajeet letting go of her. For all of five minutes, Biswajeet kept kissing Rekha. Unit members were whistling and cheering. Those voices were said to have echoed in Rekha’s conscience till much later. Her eyes were tightly shut, but they were full of tears..” the biography read.

When Rekha Opened Up On The Unwanted Kiss

Years later, Rekha reflected on the incident. In a 1994 interview with Dinesh Raja, the evergreen star said, "I didn't do it. I was taken by surprise. Nothing could've compensated; nothing can wipe off what I felt. Not even the coverage it got in 'Life' magazine."

Biswajeet’s daughter, actress Pallavi, did not mince words in calling out her famous father and admitted that he should have taken consent. In a chat with journalist Vickey Lalwani, Pallavi said, “It was not right, whether it was done by my father or by anyone else. He should have either refused to do it or obtained Rekha's consent first. She was not prepared for it, and obviously, it would have been shocking for a 15- or 16-year-old girl."

Do Shikaari was supposed to be Rekha’s debut but was stuck with the Censor Board for years. It finally hit the big screens in 1979; by that time, Rekha had become a big star with many hits under her belt, such as Mr Natwarlal, Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, etc.