Vijayta Pandit, the actress and playback singer who made a remarkable debut in Love Story (1981) opposite Kumar Gaurav who was also a debutant, once surprised everyone by refusing to give a screentest for the film. Directed by Rahul Rawail and produced by legendary actor Rajendra Kumar, father of Kumar Gaurav. However, few know that before signing the role, Vijayta took a bold stance by declining to audition for the film, which left Rajendra Kumar shocked. This was recently revealed by the now 57-year-old Vijayta in an exclusive interview.
In her candid chat with Lehren Retro, Vijayta Pandit shared how her journey in Love Story began. She recounted how her pairing with Kumar Gaurav was loved by audiences and led to their on-screen chemistry becoming an instant hit. The movie’s success sparked demands for the duo to star in more films together. Vijayta, who is also the younger sister of Sulakshana Pandit, a popular actress in the 70s and 80s, had grown up around the film industry. She often accompanied her sister to movie sets, which helped her create an impression on many film personalities.
One day, while Rajendra Kumar was planning his son’s big-screen debut, he visited Sulakshana Pandit’s house early in the morning. Vijayta recalled how the meeting went down: “He came to our house in the morning at about 7 am, as he used to go for a walk in the morning, so he directly came home in his half pants and rang the bell. And I was sleeping.”
Waking up to this unexpected visit, Vijayta sat with Rajendra Kumar, who then spoke to her sister Sulakshana. He explained that he wanted to cast Vijayta as the heroine opposite his son. When she visited Rajendra Kumar’s house later, he asked her to do a screentest. “I have a request that I will take your screentest. Don’t worry, you just have to read the dialogues and show your face on screen,” he told her.
Vijayta, confident in her abilities, shocked the legendary actor by refusing. “I know I can act, but I will not give a screentest,” she replied. Taken aback, Rajendra Kumar then called up the iconic Raj Kapoor, who suggested, “So make her do any acting course, so that you’ll also get confidence.”
Also Read: “Shahrukh Khan, We Need You!” – Vijayta Pandit’s Emotional Outcry
Despite her refusal, the film’s production commenced and Love Story became a blockbuster, cementing Vijayta Pandit and Kumar Gaurav’s pairing in Bollywood history.
Vijayta also opened up about her real-life romance with Kumar Gaurav during the interview. For more on her journey, watch the full interview below.
