I had to jump off...

I had a tough time doing my first lip-sync song ‘Deewana hua badal’ in Kashmir Ki Kali. But if you ask me about my toughest scene ever, it would have to be in Paap Aur Punya, in 1974. It was directed by the film writer Prayag Raj. 

Understandably, he packed in quite a punch in the screenplay. In one sequence, I had to jump off the first floor of a building with a briefcase in hand. It may sound very easy to do today, with safety measures and all that actors are given when they have to do stunts. But imagine a girl in the 1970s being told by the director, 'Okay now you have to jump down the building'. I was naturally petrified but I was assured by the unit that there was absolutely no risk involved. There were ample buffers down below. But still, to jump down with a briefcase in hand, you have to grant me my nervousness. I remember myself perched on the precipice of the building with that briefcase. My co-star Shashi Kapoor and the rest of the crew shouted, 'Jump jump jump!' from down below. I did. As luck would have it as soon as I jumped,  my knees hit my chin. No damage done though. However, I was quite shaken at the end of it.  Earlier for a scene in Atma Ram's Yeh Gulistan Hamara, I had been asked by the director to jump down from this huge elephant. I had refused. When my body double made that jump, she had sprained her ankle. So for me to jump from the first floor was quite a feat."