35 years of Qayamat se Qayamat Tak: Dalip Tahil recalls why no filmmaker dared to make a romantic film back then

Launching the careers of its lead actors Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak (QSQT) was a cinematic tour de force that released in 1988 and was a romantic drama burst onto the Indian film scene, capturing the hearts of millions. As the film clocks 35 years (on April 29), actor Dalip Tahil, who played Aamir’s onscreen father in the film, revisits its magic, impact, and recalls some interesting anecdotes from the shoot.

Calling QSQT a “renaissance of romance”, Tahil says, “During its making, everyone questioned our producer, Nasir Hussain, as to how he thinks that a romantic film stands a chance in the ‘angry young man’ era. During that period, no one dared to make a romantic film, that too with newcomers. So, it was a huge deal for the film to turn out so successful. QSQT was an important and historic film that gave birth to two stars.”

Going down memory lane, Tahil recounts the time when he first saw Aamir when he went for the narration of the film. He tells us, “Three kids were sitting on a bench and one of them was Aamir. He looked like a cute school kid with his red and rose cheeks. Nasir sahab pointed his finger towards him, sharing that he is the newcomer to be launched in our film, and Aamir raised his hand like we used to do in school. It was a very innocent and cute moment.”

Though QSQT remains one of the all-time classics in Bollywood, it was way ahead of its time where the lead actors meet their fate due to honour killing. Tahil says the distributors were not ready to release the film with a sad ending. “Very reluctantly, we even shot a happy ending again for QSQT. However, Mansoor was adamant that he will only be associated with the film if the ending remains sad as it was earlier. Nasir sahab went to the famous writer Rahi Masoom Raza for advice, and he said that the film will only be a classic if it has a sad ending.”

The 70-year-old further shares how he landed the role of Dhanraj Singh. “I was shooting for TV show Buniyaad, when Nasir sahab called me in his office. I got scared and started thinking if I made some mistake as he was such a senior artist in the industry. He started narrating the film and I stopped him after listening to the prologue. The prologue of the film was so dramatic and dynamic, that I told him I will do the film.”

The actor reveals that QSQT was initially supposed to be directed by Hussain, but due to his health conditions, he gave the script to his son Mansoor Khan who then took over the direction. “Mansoor wanted to recast both the fathers in the film, as he felt he was too young to direct senior actors like Sanjeev Kumar and Shammi Kapoor, who were going to play those roles earlier. That’s why I was approached for the role and I immediately accepted it, without thinking twice,” Tahil concludes.