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Yash Chopra was a visionary. Whatever he did, it was passionate and struck a chord with the audience. So when he pulled a casting coup of sorts with Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and Rekha in Silsila, everyone was shocked. The reason was Amitabh and Rekha’s hush-hush past, which was scandalous enough not to be touched again once it settled down.
Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan’s affair was a hushed story that was ignited again after they were cast in Silsila. Interestingly, it was not Rekha and Jaya Bachchan who was cast for the film initially. The film started with Smita Patil and Parveen Babi, who were later replaced with the two important women from Bachchan’s life.
Yash Chopra wanted this cast for Sisila, and he expressed the same to Amitabh Bachchan who in turn agreed. The film did not go down well with the audience and tanked. In a very later part of his life, Yash Chopra in an interview, confirmed that Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan, indeed, were a couple.
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In 2010, Yash Chopra was in a conversation with BBC when he started talking about Silsila. “I was always on tenterhooks and scared (during Silsila) because it was real life coming into reel life. Jaya is his wife and Rekha is his girlfriend – the same story is going on (in real life). Anything could have happened because they are working together.”
Yash Chopra, even continued supporting his revelation saying, “When a man and woman are doing romantic scenes it’s not possible they won’t get in a relationship – in the past, it wasn’t so open, but today it is. No one cared in the past.”
The interviewer was shocked by this admission and declaration as she was later quoted by Eastern Eye, “It’s a rumour we have grown up with, but no one has ever confirmed it.” The interview by Yash Chopra on Amitabh Bachchan’s scandalous love life was aired on BBC Asian Network. It was rumoured that the Silsila actor made some frantic calls and was upset and angry about the interview.
But the Network denied the same and was quoted as, “Following the interview with Yash Chopra on the BBC Asian Network’s Sonia Deol Show on Wednesday 11 August, we have had no contact or correspondence from Amitabh Bachchan’s representatives.”
Later, in an interview, Yash Chopra’s wife Pamela Chopra while talking to TOI explained why Silsila tanked and it was her husband’s fault. She said, “The marriage is a very, very sacred institution in India, and when the director created sympathy for the two lovers who were willing to go outside their marriage and continue their love affair, he didn’t carry the audience with him.”
For more such throwback stories stay tuned to Koimoi.
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