What made Jaya Bachchan say yes to 'Silsila'?
What's the story
The casting of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and Rekha in Yash Chopra's Silsila (1981) was a bold move considering their real-life equation. While the Bachchans were a top celebrity couple, Rekha was rumored to be involved with Big B. The film initially flopped but has since achieved cult status. In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, author Hanif Zaveri revealed that Sanjeev Kumar played a key role in persuading Jaya to join the project.
Condition disclosed
Chopra asked Kumar to convince Jaya
Zaveri, who has penned Kumar's biography, shared that Chopra had asked Kumar to convince Jaya to join Silsila. "Yash Chopra told Sanjeev Kumar to convince Jaya Bachchan to do Silsila as he shared a great rapport with her," Zaveri said. However, Jaya had one condition: "She will be on the set even if it's not her scene."
Persuasion details
Smita Patil and Parveen Babi were initially considered for 'Silsila'
Zaveri further explained, "Initially, Smita Patil and Parveen Babi were supposed to be in this film but Parveen was no longer a part of the film since she was unwell." "Then when Parveen was not a part of the film and when Rekha came in, Yash Chopra thought that if Rekha is playing this character, Jaya Bachchan should play the wife's character." While Bachchan and Jaya played a married couple, Rekha was Bachchan's character's former flame, who reappears.
Director's dilemma
How the iconic casting happened
Chopra had earlier spoken about the challenges of casting Bachchan and Rekha in Silsila. He admitted to being on edge because their real-life dynamics mirrored those in the film. "I was always on tenterhooks and scared because it was real life coming into reel life," he said. "They are working together... Jaya is his wife and Rekha is his girlfriend -the same story is going on in real life."