Veteran actress Mandakini has shared a nostalgic tribute to the making of her 1986 fantasy-action film 'Singhasan', recalling the grandeur of old-school Bollywood filmmaking and her experience alongside legends including Jeetendra, Waheeda Rehman, Jaya Prada, and Amjad Khan. The actress posted a heartfelt note on her social media account, offering a rare behind-the-scenes window into a landmark production of that era.

The Magic of Pre-VFX Filmmaking

In her post, Mandakini wrote: 'Singhasan ke shoot ke din aaj bhi yaad hain... Nature ke beech, colorful costumes, heavy jewellery aur uss zamane ki grand sets ki vibe hi kuch aur thi.' She recalled that every scene was shot with painstaking precision — sometimes requiring hours of waiting for a single shot — yet the moment the camera rolled, 'sab kuch magical lagta tha' (everything felt magical).

The actress was emphatic about what set that era apart: 'Us waqt na VFX ka zamana tha aur na hi shortcuts ka... jo bhi grandeur screen par dikhta tha, woh sab real sets aur hard work ka result hota tha.' (There was neither VFX nor shortcuts back then — whatever grandeur appeared on screen was purely the result of real sets and hard work.)

A Stellar Cast and a Dedicated Crew

Mandakini noted that the film brought together some of Hindi cinema's most celebrated names. 'Is film me mere saath Jeetendra ji, Jaya Prada ji, Waheeda Rehman ji, Amjad Khan ji aur kai legendary artists the,' she wrote, adding that 'Singhasan' was directed by Krishna and produced under the Padmalaya Studios banner. She described the positive energy that Jeetendra brought to the set, saying outdoor shoots — with flowers in the air and bright costumes — were a different kind of joy altogether.

The Bilingual Shoot: Hindi and Telugu Simultaneously

One of the more striking details Mandakini revealed was that 'Singhasan' was shot simultaneously in both Hindi and Telugu. In the Hindi version, Jeetendra was her co-star; in the Telugu version, the role was played by South superstar Krishna Garu. The same sets were used for both — Telugu scenes were filmed first, followed immediately by the Hindi version on the same setup.

This created a unique challenge for Mandakini: 'Kabhi kabhi heroes apne shots complete karke chale jaate the aur mujhe dono versions ke liye alag alag scenes aur expressions continue rakhne hote the.' (Sometimes the heroes would finish their shots and leave, and she had to continue performing different scenes and expressions for both versions.) She acknowledged it was demanding, but added: 'actor ke liye wahi moments sabse zyada sikhate bhi hain' — those moments taught her the most as an actor.

Mandakini's Place in Bollywood History

Mandakini rose to national prominence with Raj Kapoor's iconic 'Ram Teri Ganga Maili', which made her an overnight sensation. She went on to appear in several major productions of the late 1980s, including 'Dance Dance', 'Commando', 'Jeete Hain Shaan Se', and 'Na-Insaafi'. Her reminiscence about 'Singhasan' underscores the enduring legacy of that generation of filmmakers who built spectacle from craft alone, without digital assistance.

As nostalgia for 80s Bollywood continues to find a new audience online, reflections like these serve as a valuable first-person archive of an era that shaped Indian popular cinema.