MUMBAI: Gadar and Gadar 2 director Anil Sharma opened up about his volatile relationship with actor Ameesha Patel, who played the role of Sakeena in both blockbuster films, headlined by Sunny Deol. 

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The director said that Ameesha hails from a rich family, and carries an attitude sometimes, even though she is a kind-hearted person in general. He also said that Ameesha wasn’t a very good actor when he first cast her in Gadar, and required months of training.

Ameesha had a dream start in the film industry, appearing in two back-to-back blockbusters – Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai and Gadar. Before the release of Gadar 2, she stirred controversy when she claimed that she wasn’t paid in full for her work in the film. 

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Anil Sharma said that an actor’s remuneration isn’t in his hands, and that he has always thought of Ameesha as a nice person, despite the ups-and-downs that they’ve experienced.

He said, “I have good relations with everybody. I’ve had my disagreements with her, but that’s her nature. We had a disagreement when we first met for the first film. But she comes from a big family, and she carries that attitude around with her. I’m a simple person, I believe in living with love. She does, too, but sometimes her attitude gets in the way. But she is a kind person otherwise.”

The filmmaker also admitted that Ameesha wasn’t a very good actor when he was casting her for Gadar, but he was certain that she fit the bill for Sakeena looks-wise. He said, “For Sakeena, I wanted an actor with a face like the moon. But she was weak at acting. Another girl we’d shortlisted was a better actor, but Ameesha had the built-in personality of someone from an important family. I knew we would have to train her, and she agreed to undergo training for six months. She’d come to me for four or five hours, and somehow, I ingrained Sakeena’s personality in her, to the point that she is still inseparable from that character.”

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While the first Gadar was also a huge hit in the year 2001, Gadar 2 has defied all expectations to emerge as one of the greatest hits in the history of Indian cinema. The film has made more than Rs 600 crore worldwide, and is eying Pathaan’s all-time record as the biggest Hindi-language hit in India.

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Credits - The Indian Express