Shekhar Suman looks back fondly on her Bollywood debut in: Girish KarnadThe 1984 romantic drama Utsav, in which he starred opposite Rekha:. Produced by: Shashi Kapoor:the film features Rekha as the courtesan Vasantasena and Shekhar as Charudatta, a poor man she falls in love with in Ujjain. As a newcomer, it was a role for Shekhar to have intimate scenes with Rekha in his first film and he was an established star. But Shekhar revealed how he made her feel comfortable. Recalling her experience, Shekhar said Rekha never carried the air of a superstar despite being one of the biggest names in the industry. “He did it, right from the beginning. When an actor walks around with props and acts like, ‘Look at me, I’m a big star,’ that’s going to be a problem. They have so many people taking care of them and expecting you to just sit in the corner and look at all the stars. But he was far from everything. He sat next to me and made me comfortable. So, even before I gave my shot, I was very comfortable,” Shekhar recalled in an interview with Screen. He also credits filmmaker Girish Karnad for helping him overcome the pressure of sharing screen space with Rekha. “He told me, ‘Look, you are only playing one character. Don’t treat her as Rekha, but as Vasantasena, another character,'” said Shekhar. Talking about filming the intimate scenes, he praised Rekha’s professionalism, adding, “Being a big star, she never said, ‘Don’t touch me here’ or ‘I don’t want to give another reprieve’.” He’s so normal.”Shekhar also reminisced about working with: Madhuri Dixit in Manav Hatya (1986), directed by Sudarshan Rattan. At that time, Madhuri debuted in Abodh but had not yet achieved national fame, which came later with Tezaab and her iconic song “Ek Do Teen.”Recalling how he came to the project, Shekhar said, “I remember working with Madhuri in my second film. The director called me and asked, ‘Will you work with a new girl?’ I said, ‘If Rekha can work with me, why don’t I work with a new girl?'”He also recalls meeting Madhuri before the shooting started. “She was staying near me in Andheri. I wanted to meet her, so we both went to her place on a motorcycle. When I saw her, I thought, ‘Oh my god! Such a beautiful looking girl!’ He is a great discovery,” he added.Looking back on her early career, Shekhar says she never shied away from films where the female lead played a more prominent role. Utsav man, Manav Hatya, or? Jyoti SarupRehguzar is with Simple Kapadia, he is happy to receive strong supporting parts. “I just choose everything that comes my way. Utsav is such a joy. To be chosen as the hero opposite Rekha! She is the bigger star and has a bigger role, but I am equally important and noticed,” said Shekhar.He also spoke about Naache Mayuri (1986), which was inspired by the true life story of Sudha Chandran, in which he portrayed a flawed character. “It revolved around the protagonist losing her leg, but she still comes out as a winner. I played the hero, but he was negative. If he loses his leg, he will be abandoned, but he will come back when he becomes famous,” the actor recalled.Sharing another memorable incident, Shekhar reflected on his role opposite Pati Parmeshwar Dimple Kapadiawhere his character finally seeks forgiveness. He revealed that the audience strongly disliked his on-screen persona, something he viewed as a compliment to his performance. “Even Pati Parmeshwar, the film I did with Dimple Kapadia, I went back and apologized. I remember my father watching it in a theater in Jaipur, where the audience said, ‘Maaro saale ko!’ He was very angry! He asked me, ‘Why would you do something like that?’ I said, ‘But that’s the triumph of character. I want people to hate me,'” Shekhar said.