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Forty-four years after Bachchan and Chatterjee frolicked through Mumbai with “Rimjhim Gire Saawan” playing in the background, the Inamdars can also be seen singing in the rain. Their ode to the Mumbai monsoon with the frame by frame recreation of the still remembered song from the 1979 film ”Manzil” making them instant social media sensations.
So there is the greying Shailesh and his wife Vandana bringing back the nostalgia of unhurried walks through the rain and the simple joys of just holding hands. Their video on YouTube has already garnered lakhs of views since July 3, been circulated endlessly on social media platforms and many, many comments.
“The idea was to share the video with close friends and family and not to share it on social media. We thought the song will have a life of 15 to 20 days and will reach out to our set of friends, say like 1,000 to 1,500 people,” Shailesh told PTI, still surprised at the attention their little venture has received.
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“It all looks a bit difficult to handle. We wonder how stars handle such attention. It is difficult to explain what we feel in words,” added the 51-year-old mechanical engineer who runs a factory with his elder son.
The couple, who live in Thane, are warding off calls, acceding to selfie requests at petrol pumps and other public places. And a little overwhelmed by it all.
Vandana, 47, said she initially did not understand why one would get dressed nicely only to get drenched. ”I don’t like getting drenched, I take my umbrella everywhere during monsoon, while he likes rain. Hence, I was saying no. Besides, why travel all the way to Nariman Point, and wear a suit and sari just to get drenched?”
The 3.41 minute song sees the Inamdars walk through famous landmarks of south Mumbai, including Marine Drive, Oval Maidan, Nariman Point, CST, and Gateway of India. Just like the Bollywood stars did all those years ago.
Remarkably, the city seems almost the same in the Inamdar version shot in late June.
The couple stayed in south Mumbai and waited for the rain to begin shooting. Shailesh said he always wanted to recreate the song but Vandana, a homemaker, took some convincing. ”I would often tell Vandana that I want to wear a suit and get drenched in rain. I enjoy Mumbai rains. It took two years to convince her to recreate this song,” he told PTI in the interview at their Thane home.
That the video has found love across ages and platforms with many praising the couple for recreating the unassuming romance, beautifully captured in the RD Burman-composed number, also sung by Kishore Kumar, is the bonus. The Inamdars are also dressed in almost the same clothes as Bachchan and Chatterjee.
An Amitabh Bachchan fan, Shailesh said he remembers most Bachchan songs by heart but ”Rimjhim Gire Sawan” is an all time favourite. ”We liked the moments created in it. There are many rain songs but the melody, positivity of this song and the vibe. It is all heartwarming,” he said, adding that the main hero in the song is the Mumbai rain.
“Whenever I see the song, I can feel how Amit ji and Moushumi ji are enjoying the rain. I wanted to experience the same feeling.” Initially, there was no plan to shoot the song but just to walk through the same locales of the song, dressed like the stars were. But their Pune-based friend Anup Ringangaokar and his wife Ankita suggested they capture it on video.
Ringangaokar shot about nine to ten frames of 38 to 52 seconds each. ”After the editing, Vandana wanted to see the song. Then we got convinced that this is a song that all of us can watch and see together,” Shailesh said.
The couple is self-admittedly introverted and are getting used to their moment in the spotlight.
”It is a 1979 movie song. It is a slow song. We didn’t expect the younger generation would like the song. ”It all looks a bit different and difficult to handle. It is difficult to explain what we feel in words. We are grateful people have liked the song and are talking about the positivity of the song,” Shailesh said. An 80-year-old man, he said, is inspired and announced that he will now take his wife out in the rain.
”We are glad that we could exactly recreate the (original) song,” Vandana said, adding that both her sons are happy with the reception to the video. The couple recalls their own romance.
Shailesh was best friends with Vandana’s brother when both families decided to get them married. ”It all just happened in a short span of time. We are from Nanded,” Vandana said. ”I knew she was my friend’s sister. We never spoke to each other before our engagement. Then because of work we came to Mumbai,” Shailesh added.
Asked whether they are waiting for a reaction from Amitabh Bachchan, Shailesh said, ”Amit ji must be pressed for time. Whenever he will watch the song, we are hoping he will like it too. We heard that Moushumi ji has seen the song and she has liked it.”