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Parveen Babi was devastated after being replaced by Jaya Bachchan in Silsila.
Parveen Babi from Namak Halal (R); Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan in a still from Silsila (L).
Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Rekha’s 1981 film, Silsila, is among the most talked about movies in their filmographies. However, in an earlier chat with ANI, Ranjeet had revealed that the late Parveen Babi was the original choice for the film, instead of Jaya Bachchan. Ranjeet said that Parveen was heartbroken after being removed from the film. Ranjeet claimed that filmmaker Yash Chopra decided to cast Jaya at the last minute due to “a gimmick controversy”.
“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,” Ranjeet said.
Silsila was a box-office disappointment but is now considered a classic. The Yash Chopra directorial delves into extra-marital affairs when a man, who is in love with someone else, decides to get married to his brother’s fiance after a tragedy strikes the family. The brother (played by Shashi Kapoor) dies after meeting with an accident, bringing a whole new twist to the story.
It was the last film featuring Amitabh and Rekha, who became a popular onscreen couple with films like ‘Mr. Natwarlal’, ‘Do Anjaane’ and ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’. Meanwhile, Parveen Babi ruled Hindi cinema during the ’70s and the ’80s. She elegantly balanced beauty and sensuality on screen and worked with top actors of her time including Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna. Evergreen songs like Jawaani Janeman Haseen Dilruba, Jaanu Meri Jaan and Raat Baaki Baat Baaki were picturised on her. Parveen Babi passed away in January 2005.
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