'I Had Just Given My 10th Std. Exam'

'I was super shy and awkward and had no idea what huge stars I was working with.'

As Yash Chopra's Trishul clocks 47 years on May 5, Poonam Dhillon gets nostalgic and remembers her debut film.

"Gapoochi Gapoochi was the most difficult song for me as I had to dance. I had never done that before," she tells Subhash K Jha.

It's been 47 years since your debut film, Trishul.

So many years have passed!

I was 15 and had just given my Standard 10 exams.

I knew nothing about acting or stars at that time. I had seen probably four-five films in my life.

Which films had you seen before?

I had seen Dosti many times, at the Children's Day celebrations in school.

Also, Guddi, Mera Naam Joker and a few more.

I was super shy and awkward and had no idea what huge stars I was working with.

Gapoochi Gapoochi Gam Gam was a big hit.

Gapoochi Gapoochi was the most difficult song for me as I had to dance. I had never done that before.

That too, in front of huge crowds at the Lodhi garden in Delhi. They had gathered to see the shoot as well as sing in the swimming pool.

You were the baby of the family.

Everyone was very kind to me and treated me like the child I was.

My co-star Sachin was very helpful, teaching me how to do the dance steps.

Shashi Kapoorji, Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) and Sanjeev Kumarji were considerate and patient, as was Gitaji (Siddharth Kak), who played my mother.

I didn't have much work with Hemaji (Malini) or Raakheeji. But these two ladies were stunning and I would go to their shoot and watch them, awestruck.

A debut with Yash Chopra was no small thing.

I am grateful that I got to start my career with this legendary film, with a legendary director like Yash Chopraji, legendary writers (Salim-Javed), legendary co-actors, legendary music director (Khayyam), legendary lyricist (Sahir Ludhianvi) and, of course, legendary playback singer (Lata Mangeshkar).