Manmohan Desai created the song ‘John Jaani Janardhan’ featuring a star-studded lineup, including Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore, and many more in Naseeb. Recently, his son Ketan Desai shared behind-the-scenes stories about how this iconic song was planned and filmed.
The idea behind the scene
In a conversation with Manju Ramanan Talks, Ketan revealed, “My father was chatting with his writers when someone asked him why he always seemed nervous despite back-to-back hits. He said, ‘You’re still celebrating success, while I’m thinking how to raise the bar.’ When asked what could possibly be bigger than directing a multi-starrer, he suddenly replied, ‘What if we bring the entire industry together in one scene?’ Since Amitabh Bachchan was already playing a waiter in the song, he imagined a setting where all the stars gathered at a party, while Amitabh served them.”Elaborating further, he added, “I panicked and told my father, ‘It’s easy to say, but how do we pull this off?’ He looked at me and asked, ‘Are you satisfied with your pay?’ When I said yes, he simply told me to get it done. While he personally spoke to the bigger stars, I coordinated with the others, arranged costumes, and managed the logistics.”
Creating a festive atmosphere
“Because RK Studios had limited makeup rooms, we constructed additional spaces, even toilets. Outside, we created a festive mela with kebabs, vegetarian and non-vegetarian stalls, and chaat counters—something new every day. Raj Kapoor said: ‘Manmohan mujhe roz mela chahiye (I want a fair-like atmosphere). Raj Kapoor played a critical role in the making of song and he assured my father, ‘Don’t worry, I will handle the actors,'” Desai shared.
Actor camaraderie on set
The veteran filmmaker even had lyricist Anand Bakshi write lines specifically for each star. “For Dharmendra, the quintessential tough hero, a special line was written to highlight his persona,” Ketan recalled. The camaraderie among actors was palpable—Randhir Kapoor jokingly remarked, “We are the highest paid junior artistes ever! All this while, we played the leads, and now we have become extras.” To which Raj Kapoor wisely replied, “In cinema, whether you’re the lead or a junior artiste, you are all part of the film.”Ketan added, “He managed timings for all actors. Every day, he would sit with my dad and ask him the actors he would need for the next day’s shoot and he would personally inform them about their timings with a warning that they can’t be late. He would arrive first every day, and because he was the most senior, no one dared to be late. After each day’s shoot, he would also give my father feedback.”
