Yash Chopra's Silsila remains one of Hindi cinema's most discussed films, not just because of its story about an extramarital relationship, but because its casting brought together Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Rekha at a time when speculation about Amitabh and Rekha's relationship was already making headlines.
But before the cameras rolled, Chopra reportedly went through a major casting upheaval, replacing his original choices, Smita Patil and Parveen Babi, with Jaya and Rekha.
The decision came at a particularly difficult phase in Chopra's career. Several of his films, including Kaala Patthar, had failed at the box office, leaving the filmmaker under considerable professional pressure. With another setback potentially damaging, Chopra wanted to get the casting of Silsila right.
Smita Patil And Parveen Babi Were The Original Choices
Chopra had initially signed Smita Patil and Parveen Babi alongside Amitabh Bachchan. Smita was supposed to play the role eventually portrayed by Jaya, while Parveen was cast in the part that later went to Rekha.
However, Parveen's health became a concern during the period leading up to the shoot. According to film journalist Hanif Zaveri, Chopra subsequently decided to replace both actresses.
Recalling the incident, Hanif Zaveri said, "When Silsila was being discussed, its original cast was Smita Patil and Parveen Babi. But, around that time, Parveen Babi was having some severe health issues due to which Yash Chopra had to remove her from the film. They even removed Smita Patil after that."
He added, "Yash then thought of casting Rekha and Jaya Bachchan. While Rekha happily signed the film, Jaya Bachchan wasn't okay with the offer. When Sanjeev Kumar got to know about this, he convinced Jaya Bachchan to sign the film. Finally, the film was made."
Why Jaya Bachchan Initially Hesitated
Rekha reportedly agreed to the project without much hesitation. Jaya, however, was uncomfortable with the idea of being part of a film that would feature her husband Amitabh alongside Rekha, given the widespread rumours surrounding the two actors at the time.
According to Hanif, Jaya's eventual decision was influenced by her close relationship with Sanjeev Kumar.
"Jaya Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar had developed a very strong bond after working together on Gulzar's film Koshish. The film was originally offered to Moushumi Chatterjee. Later, however, for reasons best known to them, she was replaced and Jaya Bachchan entered the picture. Both Jaya and Sanjeev performed extremely well, with Sanjeev Kumar even bagging a National Award for the same," Hanif said.
He added, "With that bond, Sanjeev treated Jaya Bachchan as his Rakhi sister and Jaya too tied Rakhi to him."
The connection between the two actors reportedly played an important role when Chopra needed Jaya to agree to Silsila.
Jaya Agreed, But Had One Condition
In an earlier conversation with Vickey Lalwani while discussing Sanjeev Kumar's biography, Hanif Zaveri and Sanjeev's niece Jigna Shah recalled how the actor helped Chopra approach Jaya.
"Yash Chopra knew that Sanjeev Kumar thought of Jaya as his sister, so he asked him to put in a good word. She agreed to do the film, but put forward one condition. She said that she would always be present on set, even when she wasn't required," Hanif said.
When asked why Jaya had made the condition, Hanif replied, "Because of Rekha, obviously."
He added, "Amitabh and Rekha were already there, and Yash Chopra desperately wanted Jaya, who was reluctant. But Sanjeev convinced her."
The casting eventually became one of the most talked-about aspects of Silsila, with the film bringing Amitabh, Jaya and Rekha together on screen amid intense public curiosity.
Amitabh Bachchan Also Had A Role In The Casting Change
Years later, Yash Chopra himself recalled the casting process while speaking to Shah Rukh Khan on the occasion of the filmmaker's 80th birthday.
Chopra said, "I had signed both Smita Patil and Parveen Babi and both of them were to start shooting. Smita was to do the role played by Jaya Bachchan and Parveen that of Rekha. I went to meet Amitji and spoke to him about the film."
He added, "It was Amitji who asked me if I was happy, content with the casting-Smita Patil, Parveen Babi and Amitabh Bachchan-and if I felt it was the ideal casting. I told him I wanted to cast him, Jayaji and Rekha. He took a long pause and told me that he was fine with the decision but asked me to convince the two actresses."
Chopra also recalled telling the actresses, "I had told both of them that koi gadbadi na ho (hope there will be no disturbance on the sets)," Chopra recalled with a chuckle, seemingly referring to the real-life speculation surrounding Amitabh and Rekha and the potential tension between the two actresses.
Parveen Babi Was Deeply Affected
The casting change was also remembered years later by actor Ranjeet, who spoke about Parveen Babi's reaction in an interview with ANI.
She said, "Parveen Babi was my dear friend... she was all alone. She was a beautiful lady. Always smiling. Once she was very upset and she was crying. I asked her, 'Kya hua Parveen.' We were in Kashmir and 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 Bahaduri in the film otherwise it was Parveen and Rekha."
Hanif had also previously discussed Parveen's struggles with her mental health and the circumstances he said led to her departure from Silsila.
In an interview with Meri Saheli, he claimed that Parveen had become particularly attached to her Silsila costumes and had taken them with her to Kashmir while shooting Kaalia with Amitabh Bachchan.
According to Hanif, people around the actor had begun noticing changes in her behaviour.
"Amitabh Bachchan noticed some changes in Parveen Babi and immediately called Yash Chopra. He asked him to come quickly: 'Yahan kuch gadbad hai.' When Yash reached, he saw Parveen had put on some weight which was not sitting well with the character of Silsila," Hanif said.
Chopra, who was already under pressure over the project, reportedly decided against taking the risk.
"He was also worried for her mental health issues. He then decided to remove her from the film," Hanif said.
Hanif further claimed that the episode contributed to Parveen believing that Amitabh had deliberately played a role in her removal from the film.
Silsila And Arth Comparisons
Despite the enormous curiosity surrounding its cast, Silsila did not perform strongly at the box office.
A year later, Mahesh Bhatt's Arth arrived and went on to become a major success. The two films were subsequently compared because both dealt with relationships, marriage and infidelity. There was also speculation that Bhatt had taken inspiration from Chopra's film, although he later rejected the comparison.
Speaking to Radio Nasha, Bhatt recalled being warned about the similarities while he was making Arth.
"When I was making this film, people came to me and said, 'You are a flop director already and on top of that you are making a film like Arth? Are you aware that Yash Chopra is making a big banner film on the same lines with Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar and Rekha?'" he said.
"I was aware. But, my take was that you don't have an extramarital affair and dance in tulip gardens. It's a secret relationship. People keep it a secret and the feeling is filled with guilt. I was so sure about it because I have experienced it myself. When you put a little bit of realness in your film, then audiences relate to it better and sense the truth," Bhatt added.
Arth was written and directed by Mahesh Bhatt and was partly inspired by events from his own life. The filmmaker drew upon his extramarital relationship with actor Parveen Babi and the breakdown of his marriage to his first wife, Kiran Bhatt.
The film also dealt with themes of emotional turmoil and mental health, elements that have led to further comparisons with Babi's publicly documented struggles.
