Veteran actor Govind Namdev, who has delivered remarkable performances in numerous films such as Saudagar (1991), Shola Aur Shabnam (1992), Virasat (1997), Satya (1998), Sarfarosh and Thakshak (1999), recently opened up about filming the intense rape scene with Madhuri Dixit in Prem Granth (1996). Speaking with Hindi Rush, he shared that he became a fan of Madhuri after witnessing her professionalism and cooperation during the challenging sequence.
Govind admitted he was initially nervous about shooting the scene and feared anything inappropriate or untoward might happen. He revealed that Madhuri’s supportive attitude helped him feel at ease. “I’ve become a fan of Madhuri in this matter. If a new actor who is nervous and conscious gets such cooperation from a high-level actor, then they can give their 100 per cent. Usually, it doesn’t happen. An actress stays in her own aura. But she cooperated a lot, since the beginning,” he said.
He further recalled, “Her attitude made me very comfortable. We shot the scene almost at the end. I used to fold my hands and say, ‘I’m going to do this.’ She would reply, ‘Yes, okay.’ She made me feel very free. But I was scared that something untoward or wrong shouldn’t happen with the number one heroine, and things could go wrong between us.”
Prem Granth, directed by Rajiv Kapoor, was an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles and starred Rishi Kapoor alongside Madhuri Dixit. The film was praised for addressing the subject of rape but also faced criticism for how the assault scene was depicted, with some viewers feeling it lacked sensitivity.
