Yash Chopra’s ‘Silsila’ is largely remembered for its breath-taking visuals, tulip gardens, poetry in motion and music. However, it will be remembered always for also its casting coup. It starred Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan alongside Rekha. That was also the last film where Bachchan and Rekha starred together. But did you know that initially, Parveen Babi was considered for the movie? The actress had cried when eventually she wasn’t cast.
Actor Ranjeet had revealed this a while ago in an interview. He said during a chat with ANI, “She (Parveen Babi) was my dear friend… she was all alone. She was a beautiful lady. Always smiling and we used to call her ‘fawada’ because of her teeth… Once she was very upset and she was crying. I asked her ‘Kya hua Parveen? (What happened Parveen?)’ We were in Kashmir. I don’t mind quoting because it’s a fact. A film was made, Silsila, and Parveen Babi was the original heroine but she was asked to leave. And because of a gimmick controversy, they cast Rekha and Jaya Bhaduri in the film otherwise it was Parveen and Rekha.”
Parveen Babi and Big B were also a popular pair of that era and starred together in many movies like ‘Deewar’, ‘Shaan’, ‘Kaalia’, ‘Suhaag’, ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’ among others.
Meanwhile, at that point when ‘Silsila’ had released, it was not a successful film at the box office. It was only with time, that it achieved a cult status.
