In a recent revelation, veteran actor Ranjeet disclosed that the late Parveen Babi felt “heartbroken” after the filmmaker Yash Chopra replaced her with Jaya Bachchan in the 1981 film ‘Silsila’, alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha. Ranjeet asserted that Yash Chopra made the decision to cast Jaya at the last minute due to “a gimmick controversy”.
Notably, ‘Silsila’ marked the final collaboration between Amitabh and Rekha, who had previously been a popular onscreen couple in films like ‘Mr. Natwarlal’, ‘Do Anjaane’, and ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’. In a controversial interview with Stardust in 1978, Rekha had alleged that she witnessed Amitabh’s wife, actor Jaya Bachchan, breaking down while watching her “love scenes” with Amitabh in Prakash Mehra’s film ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’.
Bachchan Family Was Sitting To Watch The Screening
Reportedly, she stated, “Once, while watching the trial show of Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, I observed the entire (Bachchan) family from the projection room. Jaya occupied the front row, with Amitabh and his parents seated behind her. They didn’t have as clear a view of her as I did. During our love scenes, tears were visibly streaming down her face.”
In an interview with ANI, Ranjeet disclosed details about his relationship with Parveen Babi and shared that she felt upset after being replaced in ‘Silsila’. Parveen Babi had passed away in January 2005.
Ranjeet, in his interview, reminisced about his close friendship with Parveen Babi, describing her as a beautiful lady always adorned with a smile. He affectionately referred to her as ‘fawada’ due to her teeth. Ranjeet recalled a moment in Kashmir when Parveen was visibly upset and in tears. He queried, “What happened Parveen?” Ranjeet candidly mentioned that Parveen Babi was originally cast as the heroine in the film ‘Silsila’, but was later replaced. He attributed this decision to a gimmick controversy and revealed that Rekha and Jaya Bhaduri were eventually cast in the film alongside him.
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