Bollywood's Control Freaks

Actors can either be as obedient as newborn lambs or they can be scary dictators.

Rekha, who went out of Fitoor after differences with the film's director Gattu, is just one of the ‘Do it my way..or take a Walk’ Bollywood artistes who have given the traditional captain of the ship, the director, a severe case of the heebie-jeebies.

By contrast, her muse Amitabh Bachchan, is justly reputed to be the directors actor. If he has any point of argument, it is discussed behind the vanity vans doors and an amicable resolution is reached. Other lambs on the scene today include the new bunch of actors Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapoor and Alia Bhatt who know it is their job to act rather than to direct. Touchoak.

Over time, some of the most eminent control freaks have been:

DILIP KUMAR:
An immediate caveat here. He felt he was justified to do his own number. After having worked and sculpted by the greats such as Mehboob Khan, K Asif and Bimal Roy, Indias greatest thespian began to interfere in the directors department. It is said that Leader was ghost-directed by him, and not by Ram Mukherjee, father of Rani Mukherjee. Dilip saab also prevailed upon Ramesh Sippy to edit out a punch line delivered by Bachchan in the famous dining table scene of Shakti.

RAAJ KUMAR:
Nope, Yash Chopra (Waqt) and Kamal Amrohi (Pakeezah) had no problems with him. Once his image of the fancy dialogue delivery jaani was established, he became eccentric, driving directors to the depths of despair. Once, he compelled a teetotaler producer to consume an entire bottle of whisky before assenting to his project.

KISHORE KUMAR:
Eccentric, screwball and whimsical, he shaved off half his moustache suddenly. The director had to wait for a month for the moustache to grow back to its original shape and density.

SAIRA BANU:
Lore goes that the shoot of Manmohan Desais Bluff Master with Shammi Kapoor, was delayed inordinately by the beauty queen of yore. She was introduced in colour with Junglee, and felt she didnt look her best in Desais black-and-white film. Her role was reduced drastically.

RAJESH KHANNA:
Once, he became the nations first asli superstar, he changed. Shakti Samanta, who gave him some of his best films like Aradhana and Amar Prem, couldnt quite handle his mood swings and demands. Superstardom vanished as easily as it had come. Although Amitabh Bachchan was assigned the death scene in Hrishikesh Mukherjees Becket adaptation, Namak Haraam, Rajesh Khanna insisted that the tear-grabbing finale should be his. And it was.

AAMIR KHAN:
Okay, so hes the ultimate perfectionist and all that. Director Amole Gupte opted out of Taare Zameen Par, since his actor and producer interfered to such an extent that Gupte suffered from chronic stress levels and greyed prematurely. Earlier, Ram Gopal Varma had gone on record to complain about his experience of working with the Khan in Rangeela.

AKSHAY KUMAR:
He may have mellowed a bit now, but there was a point when he would sit on the edits of his films to ensure that his co-stars didnt steal the show from him. Ask Saif Ali Khan whod grouse about this (off the record). As for Suniel Shetty, he would grin and bear it.

VIVEK OBEROI:
Can you believe this? Ram Gopal Varma, who introduced him with Company, tore his hair out when the actor dished out more inputs than were required. More incredibly, VO is said to have suggested lighting and camera angles to Mani Ratnam for Yuva. LOL.

RANDEEP HOODA:
Not ever satisfied with whats going on, theres this story about how he threw a glass of water on the camera lens, in a fit of anger.

KIRRON KHER:
Yeah! Directors, including Shyam Benegal, would be told to photograph her only from the angle which played up her one deep dimple.

NANA PATEKAR:
Known to lose his temper, it has been buzzed that he ghost directed the sequel of Ab Tak Chappan. It bombed.

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