He was a great storyteller. As an actor, he had his own interpretation and used it to express things. With his demise, an era has come to an end. He is among the finest actors ever — choosy about what he did. My dream to work with him was fulfilled when Shakti  (1982) came about.

When I narrated the script, he was taken aback, because it was entirely his film. His was the central character, and he did not hesitate to say yes. We had a reading session. I had heard that he rewrites [scripts], but he did not interfere with this one. We discussed the scenes. The fine actor that he is, he observed and imbibed it all, and made the performance his own.