Hari was off to a good start, but he still had a long way to go. In a bid to meet prospective directors and producers, he would walk long d...
Hari was off to a good start, but he still had a long way to go. In a bid to meet prospective directors and producers, he would walk long distances – from Chembur Railway Station to RK Studio, from Bhuleshwar to Famous Studio, Mahalaxmi, from Andheri Railway Station to Mohan Studio; he walked and walked and kept walking. He wasn’t alone on his journey. Jamnadas often accompanied him, and at times even went alone on his behalf.
Even though Shantaben supported Hari with the occasional buck, there would still never be enough for clothes. His only clothes were two pairs of white kurta pyjamas, which he had to wash every night so that there would be a fresh set on the next day. ‘Heroes’ don’t dress like that . . . but Hari did.
Filmalaya Production House chose promising students from Filmalaya Acting School and offered them small roles in their films. On one such occasion, Ram Mukherjee sent his assistant to find him a student actor for his movie Hum Hindustani (1960), starring Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh. The role was small, but the actor would be paid. Upon being approached, Hari immediately accepted the offer of playing a police inspector for Rs 12 per...
