Biswajit Chatterjee breaks silence on controversial kiss with Rekha: 'It does not matter today’

Biswajit Chatterjee and Rekha (Pics/X)

Veteran actor Biswajit Chatterjee has spoken about his controversial kissing scene with Rekha in Do Shikari, decades after it was filmed. The scene has remained a subject of discussion, particularly after Rekha's allegations about how it was shot. Biswajit has now shared his perspective on the controversy and how on-screen intimacy has changed over the years.

Biswajit Chatterjee on kiss controversy with Rekha

Veteran actor Biswajit Chatterjee has opened up about the much-discussed kissing scene he shared with actress Rekha in the 1979 film Do Shikari, saying that the context around on-screen intimacy has changed significantly over the decades. While talking to ANI, Chatterjee said that what was considered shocking at the time has a very different meaning for audiences today. Biswajit said, "In today's age, that controversy does not matter. Today, on-screen kissing is nothing. Today's bedroom scenes... I am shocked to watch them in films like Animal."

Rekha had alleged that Biswajit kissed her without her consent during the scene when she was 15. Speaking about the incident, the actor said, "After that, she did my movie. I was the producer and director, and I talked to her. She worked in my movie. Controversy should be there. It should be said. It has to be said just for passing time."

It is worth mentioning that the kissing scene from Do Shikari has remained a talking point in discussions around intimacy in Indian cinema, particularly because of the changing standards surrounding what could be shown on screen across different eras.

What Rekha told about the scene?

Rekha had addressed the controversial scene in her autobiography, Rekha: The Untold Story. She alleged that Biswajit kissed her without her consent while filming the sequence and claimed that the kiss lasted for around five minutes despite her resistance. Rekha further alleged that members of the cast and crew whistled and cheered during the incident, leaving her distressed and in tears.

The episode dates back to the beginning of Rekha's film career. After moving to Mumbai as a teenager with hopes of finding work in the industry, she was cast in Anjana Safar in 1969. However, the film faced a prolonged delay after running into trouble with the Censor Board. Later, it was retitled Do Shikari and finally reached theatres in 1979.