Saqib Saleem on kissing Randeep Hooda in Bombay Talkies: Everybody was tense, we told Karan we don't want to see

Saqib Saleem and Randeep Hooda

Actor Saqib Saleem recently opened about one of the most memorable and awkward experiences from his early career—filming a kissing scene with actor Randeep Hooda in the anthology film Bombay Talkies. The movie, which was released in 2013 to mark 100 years of Indian cinema, featured four different short films by prominent directors, and one of them, directed by Karan Johar, included a groundbreaking portrayal of a same-sex relationship. This short film, titled Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh, featured a kiss between Saqib and Randeep’s characters, which, at the time, was quite rare in mainstream Indian cinema.

In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Saqib reflected on the challenges of filming that scene and the tension that surrounded it. He explained that the experience felt unlike anything he had encountered before. "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," Saqib said. He added that the crew was unsure how to handle the scene—questions about the number of people present on set and what would be said in the aftermath were top concerns. "They were all thinking, ‘How are we going to shoot it, how many people will be present on set, who will say what?’"

Saqib noted that, despite the tension, the actual shooting of the scene was brief and straightforward. "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.’” Saqib’s lighthearted tone while recalling the moment shows just how awkward the whole experience felt, given the societal context of the time.

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At the time of the film’s release, depictions of same-sex relationships in Bollywood were not only rare but often relegated to comic or stereotypical roles. Saqib himself pointed out how Bombay Talkies was groundbreaking in its portrayal of a gay relationship with a leading man at its center, a bold move in Indian cinema. "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," he said. This attempt at normalizing LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream cinema marked a significant shift, one that would pave the way for more inclusive storytelling in the years to come.

Despite the awkwardness on set, Saqib believes that the scene, while difficult at the time, was an important moment in Indian cinema. "I feel that was quite a memorable scene, it had created a whole weird environment on set. Quite awkward." The awkwardness he refers to is reflective of the broader societal discomfort with same-sex relationships, which was often mirrored in the filmmaking process. However, Bombay Talkies was part of a broader movement in cinema that began pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable and what could be represented on screen.

The short film Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh, which featured Saqib and Randeep, did not just make waves in India but also garnered international attention. It was nominated for the prestigious Queer Palm award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, marking a milestone for both the actors and the filmmakers involved. Saqib acknowledges this achievement, noting that it was a recognition of the risks taken to present a same-sex romance in a mainstream Hindi film at a time when such portrayals were still taboo.