Joy Mukherjee was a hassle-free fun-loving co-star: Asha Parekh

 Actress Asha Parekh recalls late Joy Mukherjee with whom she did four films together and all of them were super-hits.

"We did four films together, Hum Hindustani, Phir Wohi Dil Laaya Hoon, Ziddi and Love In Tokyo and all of them were super-hits. I am happy to see it was a 'Joy' working in these films. He was a hassle-free fun-loving co-star, kind and considerate. But he also had a habit of coming late on the sets, which I soon got used to. When we did Hum Hindustani together in 1960 he was a newcomer and I already had done films. Joy and I didn't have any scenes together in Hum Hindustani, so we barely met," says Asha Parekh remembering the late actor.

"When we did Phir Wohi Di Laya Hoon it was a different story. We had a ball shooting the film in the lovely outdoors. I suppose it was the picnic mood of the film and all those 10-11 terrific O.P. Nayyar songs. I remember when we were shooting for my solo song Aankhon se jo utri hai dil mein we were running out of raw stock (film). Joy went out of the way to complete the song before the day was over. We shot Love In Tokyo in Japan. I think ours was the first Hindi film to be shot there. Again, shooting was like a picnic. Joy and I did a lot of sightseeing. I remember he threw a party on the last of shoot in Japan," she says.

"A funny thing happened during the shooting of our last film together Ziddi. Joy was supposed to pick me up forcibly, and throw me on the bed. He, poor thing, didn't realize there was no mattress on the bed. I landed on the bed with a thud. My back was gone I couldn't get up for days. Yeh sab chalta hai. It's all part of entert inment business. The sad thing is, Joy went too early. He was in his 60's. I believe he wasn't keeping good health. He should have looked after himself. I met him for the last time in October 2011 in Kashmir. We were all there for a function. He wouldn't even come out of the car. He screamed after me to come home. I wish I had taken up the invitation," recalls the actress.