'Aamir Rushed Me To Hospital'

'I couldn't see the injury but I knew it was bad from the expression on Aamir's face.'

They worked in just one film together and that released over three decades ago.

Yet, people still remember Ayesha Jhulka as Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar's lovely girl-next-door Anjali, who turns out to be the perfect partner for Aamir Khan's Sanjay as he comes of age.

The actress herself admits that even after all these years, Jatin and Lalit Pandit's Pehla Nasha is equated with first love and romance.

Ayesha shares some khoobsoorat memories about Aamir with Rediff.com Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya.

"We decided to have a contest to see who had a better command over the language. We had to spell out certain words on a sheet of paper. To my delight, Aamir got the spelling of 'khoobsoorat' wrong."

An accident and surgery

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar brings back so many wonderful memories --Cycling in Ooty, running around Mumbai's Film City Studio and that accident while shooting the film's climax that necessitated surgery...

Yes, I hit my head against a bamboo pole in which a nail was embedded and it pierced my forehead.

There was a lot of blood.

I couldn't see the injury myself but I knew it was bad from the expression on Aamir's face and the way he urgently called for ice and held it to my forehead to staunch the flow of blood.

When that didn't work, he asked for a doctor to be rushed across, then insisted that I should be taken to a hospital.

I was touched by his concern.

They rushed me to Breach Candy Hospital, Nasirji (Nasir Hussain, Writer-Producer) calling ahead to tell the doctor to take good care of me and ensure that there was no permanent scar on my forehead.

I underwent an hour-long surgery.

The doctor insisted on three days of bed rest but I was back to the shoot in three hours.

'I had wanted a cycle since I was a child'

I knew we had the stadium just for a day and that Mansoor (Khan, director) had organised an eight-camera set-up to capture the race.

There was no way I was going back home and putting the unit in jeopardy.

I told them that I was fine except we needed to cover up the white bandage on my forehead.

They gave me my red cap.

If you watch the film closely, you will see that I am without the cap at the beginning and then suddenly wearing it again.

I don't think too many people noticed this discrepancy in continuity.

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar was a coming-of-age sports drama, culminating in a marathon cycle race between two rivals, Shekhar Malhotra of Rajput School and Sanjay Sharma of Model School.

While growing up, I had never imagined I would be a part of a sports film but I had wanted a cycle since I was a child.

My mother didn't want me careening around on a two-wheeler, falling and hurting myself, but that didn't stop me from pleading for one.

When I was in the eighth standard, my dad promised me a surprise if I aced my exams.

I got over 90 per cent and, to my joy, he gifted me a cycle.

By the time Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar came along, I could cycle really well and was riding around even between shots.

'I could see the traits of a director in him even back then'

Aamir was also very comfortable on two wheels. He's an actor who will give his mind, body and soul to flesh out a character convincingly.

He was just an actor then, but looking back, I can see the traits of a director in him even back then.

Mansoor and he were always discussing scenes, mindful of every small detail.

Nothing was left to chance.

At the same time, certain things happened spontaneously.

Like that poster, where both Aamir and I are enveloped in a black shawl, only half our faces visible, our eyes saying it all.

That moment was not in the script but something along, the lines was alluded to and Mansoor was wondering how to capture it on screen.

It was chilly, I had a shawl with me, and shivering. I wrapped it tightly around myself.

That simple, every day gesture led to a brainwave.

Why didn't I do this on screen too and envelop Aamir in the shawl as well?

It turned into a heart-touching, intimate moment and became the film's poster.

'We were like a bunch of school kids on set'

Aamir's sincerity to his craft, along with his sensitivity, made him a wonderful co-star even if he was always playing pranks on me.

I remember once he told me he had got me a gift.

By then, I was wise to his mischievous ways and pointing to the present in his hands, I asked warily, 'What do you have in there?'

'Bangles,' he informed me with a straight face and offered me the gift, urging me to try them on.

Curious, I unwrapped the paper wrapping, and immediately an insect wriggled out, terrifying me out of my wits.

I screamed, and laughing delightedly, Aamir ran off with me chasing after him, determined to get even.

We were like a bunch of school kids on set, always up to some masti.

'You couldn't help but laugh at his wit'

On another occasion, since I was always being complimented for my chaste Hindi, we decided to have a contest to see who had a better command over the language.

We had to spell out certain words on a sheet of paper.

To my delight, Aamir got the spelling of 'khoobsoorat' wrong.

He had used chhoti oo ki matra instead of badi oo ki matra.

He argued that the matra changed, depending on how beautiful the person was.

'If they are very khoobsoorat, you use badi oo ki matra, and if they are slightly less beautiful, it is chhoti oo ki matra,' he quipped.

You couldn't help but laugh at his wit.

After that, whenever we met, we would joke over whether someone was khubsurat or khoobsoorat.

Films never die

Once I consciously started doing less work, preferring to focus on quality rather than quantity, I didn't meet my co-stars too often.

But whenever we did, it was amazing how quickly and easily we picked up from where we had left off.

Aamir is my neighbour, we both live in Bandra (north west Mumbai) but despite that, we rarely meet.

There is this cute little coffee shop near my place which I visit often.

Once when I went there to pick up a sandwich, I was told that Aamir had just left.

But we did meet at the Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar reunion.

It was a nostalgic evening with all of us talking about the film and discussing our scenes.

Even after all these years, it's amazing that people still equate Pehla Nasha to first love and romance.

They still see me as the sweet girl-next-door, an image that has got me so much love and respect.

As for Aamir, he just keeps getting better as an actor.

When I saw him in Laal Singh Chaddha I was like, 'Oh My God, how could he have pulled off this character so convincingly and beautifully.'

But then, I reminded myself, that he had been accepted an alien in PK.

What was all the more impressive is that his Laal is the polar opposite of Dangal's Mahavir Singh Phogat.

When I see Andaz Apna Apna, I can also see Aamir in Amar.

Rancho in 3 Idiots is like the Aamir I had met on the sets of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar... Bright, funny, caring and always pursuing excellence.

On his birthday, I wish him the very best and look forward to many more wonderful films and brilliantly enacted characters from him.