Bonding with Bond: Naseeruddin Shah recalls his experience of working with Sean Connery in his last film

Naseeruddin Shah has only done one international film, a big comic-book adaptation titled The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen in 2003. It was not a pleasant experience for him and he never returned to international projects.

But he did get to work with Sean Connery in what turned out to be his last feature film.

Recalling the experience, Shah says, “I expected him to be a person happy in his own skin and confident enough to not indulge in starry behaviour of any kind and he didn't disappoint me there!”

Connery was the cynosure of all eyes on the sets. Besides Shah, the film also starred Peta Wilson, Tony Curran, Stuart Townsend, Shane West ,Jason Flemyng, Edward Hyde, Richard Roxburgh, Max Ryan, Tom Goodman-Hill, David Hemmings and Terry O'Neill.

Recalls Naseeruddin Shah, “All us co-actors were certainly in awe of Sean but he never displayed any sign of entitled behaviour. He didn't need to; he was perfectly happy sitting around with us all in his undershirt sans his wig, and scratching himself and breaking wind!”

Unlike other self-centred stars, Sean Connery actually took genuine interest in the lives of his colleagues.

Says Shah, “He often asked us things about ourselves, which was touching. Celebrities are never interested in others. They're always waiting to be asked things about themselves and are happy to hold forth about themselves even if not asked! Sean was an exception.”