By Jagmohan Singh Barhok
Shekhar Suman was lucky enough to be in the cast of Girish Karnad directed “Utsav”, produced by Shashi Kapoor also starring topnotch players like- Rekha, Kunal Kapoor, Anuradha Patel, Amjad Khan, Nina Gupta & Kulbhushan Kharbanda. It was his debut film made on a lavish scale with regal backdrop and settings. The film was designed to answer “every question you wanted to know about sex but were afraid to do so”. It revolves around the legendry sex-teacher “Vatsayana” (Amzad khan played the role) . There were kings & courtiers; servants & maids; courtesans and their hand-maidens; lusty lovers & luscious lasses , sex rituals and fantasies. Rekha played the renowned courtesan ‘Vasantsena’. There are quite a few bold scenes picturized on Rekha & Suman. The film highlights the courtly life and what goes on behind the scenes- the corruption, the intrigues and above all unbridled debaucheries and orgies.
After “Utsav” most of his films were B-grade as the producers knew his penchant for doing many films. He was resultantly cast with new & inexperienced heroines. I met the actor first time on the ‘muhurat’ of one of his films “Pyaar Ka Jharna” at Hotel Palm Beach, Juhu. The film was later shelved and the actor never talked about it.
Shekhar Suman was stuck in a groove from which he took time to extricate himself. Shekhar Suman did few films (Sindoor Tere Naam Ka”, “Qanoon Ki Aawaz” & “Inse Miliye”) with a new starlet Vasantsena ( real name Seema Kapoor). She lived adjacent to my residence at Chandigarh with her father & younger sister, and appeared in a few Punjabi plays and films, too. The actor also worked opposite Madhuri Dixit in “Manav Hatya”.
The actor , however, tasted a longer success as a host and Judge in TV shows including ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ along with Navjot Singh Sidhu, & later quitting after his differences with his co-host. He acted in ‘Wah Janaab’ with Kiran Juneja. ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’, ‘Reporter’, ‘Kabhi Idhar Kabhi Udhar’, Andaz’, Amar Prem, Vilayati Babu,’Andaz’ & ‘Movers n Shakers’ were his prominent TV shows.
