Saqib Saleem on 'memorable, awkward' kiss with Randeep Hooda in Bombay Talkies

Actor Saqib Saleem discussed his experience filming the kissing scene with Randeep Hooda in Bombay Talkies. Both Saqib and Randeep shared screen space in the 2013 anthology film's first short film, Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh.

In Short

• Saqib Saleem recently opened up about his kiss with Randeep Hooda in Bombay Talkies
• He talked about how the kiss was shot in one take
• Bombay Talkies was a 2013 anthology consisting of four films directed by different directors

Actor Saqib Saleem recently reflected on his experience filming a memorable and awkward kissing scene with Randeep Hooda in the anthology film 'Bombay Talkies'. The movie, which was released in 2013, featured four short films by different directors to celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema.

Saqib, in a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble shared that the scene was particularly challenging due to its unique nature in the context of Indian cinema at the time. He described the experience as both memorable and awkward.

Saqib said, "When I was shooting for Bombay Talkies, there was a kissing scene between Randeep (Hooda)’s character and my character. I wouldn’t say, ‘Wow, what a memorable scene’, but I remember vividly, everybody on set was extremely tense. They were all thinking, ‘How are we going to shoot it, how many people will be present on set, who will say what?'”

"After the scene, Karan said, ‘Okay, got it, moving on.’ Both Randeep and I looked at each other and then at Karan. We collectively said, ‘Hogaya?’ and he said, ‘Yes, look, it’s good.’ We were like it’s okay, we don’t want to see, you got what you wanted right? That’s about it,” added the actor.

Saqib quipped, "I remember this clearly because back then people didn’t write good homosexual characters in films, they only used them for a sense of comedy. I think Bombay Talkies was one of the first films that brought it into the mainstream and gave a leading man that sexuality. I feel that was quiet a memorable scene, it had created a whole weird environment on set. Quiet awkward.”

Bombay Talkies' aimed to showcase diverse narratives and included a range of themes, with Saqib and Randeep's segment directed by Karan Johar. This short, titled Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh, also fetched Queer Palm nomination at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.