Bollywood is known for its grand celebrations and glittering ensembles, and only a few people can capture that magic better than Farah Khan or Manmohan Desai.
While many remember Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om title track for bringing dozens of stars together, this idea actually began decades earlier with Manmohan Desai’s 1981 blockbuster Naseeb. The film’s iconic song John Jani Janardhan gathered nearly the entire film industry in one frame, an extraordinary moment in cinema history.
The song featured legends like Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Dharmendra, Rajesh Khanna, Waheeda Rehman, Sharmila Tagore and many others. Shot over a week at RK Studios, the making of this sequence was as legendary as the song itself. Manmohan Desai’s son Ketan Desai who was just seventeen at the time recently shared how his father turned a wild idea into cinematic gold.
He recalled that his father, always eager to outdo himself, once wondered aloud what could possibly top a multi-starrer film. Then came the spark, bringing the entire industry together in one scene. Since Amitabh Bachchan was playing a waiter, the idea evolved into a grand party sequence where he served all the stars. Ketan remembered being overwhelmed by the task but his father said to him that if he is happy with his salary, then he should make it happen.
Soon, RK Studios transformed into a carnival. Extra makeup rooms were built and food stalls served everything from kebabs to chaat. Raj Kapoor supported Manmohan Desai wholeheartedly, telling him not to worry about managing the actors, he would handle it himself. Always the first to arrive, Raj Kapoor set the tone for the entire shoot.
The atmosphere was filled with joy and laughter. Randhir Kapoor joked that they had all become the most expensive junior artists in the world, to which Raj Kapoor replied that in cinema, everyone is equal.
The result was a timeless song, sung by Mohammed Rafi, which became a milestone in the history of Bollywood. John Jani Janardhan not only made Naseeb a massive hit but also set a new standard for ensemble performances that filmmakers admire even today.
If you haven’t watched the song John Jani Janardhan till now, it is the time for you to get soaked in the golden days of Bollywood.
