One of Bollywood's most iconic villains, veteran actor Ranjeet, has made a startling revelation about Amitabh Bachchan's much-talked-about film 'Silsila', unveiling that the casting we saw on screen was not the initial plan.
In the 1981 movie, Amitabh Bachchan starred alongside Jaya Bachchan, Rekha, and Sanjeev Kumar. Yet, Ranjeet points out in an interview that originally it wasn't Jaya who starred opposite Amitabh, but another actress whose onscreen chemistry with Mr. Bachchan was the talk of the town during those days.
Before Jaya, this actress was Amitabh's leading lady in 'Silsila'
Ranjeet confided in an ANI interview that the immensely popular actress of her era, Parveen Babi, was initially cast in 'Silsila'. He discussed his close relationship with Parveen and how she was deeply upset over being replaced in the film.
Ranjeet shared, 'She (Parveen Babi) was a very close friend... and very lonely. A beautiful woman, she was always smiling, and we would fondly call her 'Shovel' because of her teeth. There was a time when she was very upset and crying. I asked her, 'What happened, Parveen?' We were in Kashmir. I don't hesitate to share this because it's a fact. A film called 'Silsila' was in the making, and Parveen Babi was the original heroine. But she was asked to leave, and instead, to create a bit of controversy, they cast Rekha and Jaya Bhaduri (now Bachchan). Otherwise, it was going to be Parveen Babi and Rekha.'
Ranjeet's words on Sanjeev Kumar
Ranjeet also spoke of his deep bond with Sanjeev Kumar, revealing that they would meet every evening. He mentioned, 'He lived in Pali Hill... Everyone has a limit to their spending. If I want something and can't afford it, I'll buy it even if I have to take a loan... but he was not like that. He didn't want to... His father passed away, his brother passed away, so many people died, as you know. That's destiny.' Ranjeet reflected on the loss of icons who shaped Hindi cinema.
