The Internet once buzzed with reports of Rekha's rumoured association with Amitabh Bachchan. In an old Rediff interview that has resurfaced, Rekha had revealed the best compliment she believes she ever received from Amitabh Bachchan.
What's Happening
- In an old interview that has caught the Internet's attention again, Rekha once revealed the impact of working with a co-star like Amitabh Bachchan for many years. She also spoke about the most memorable compliment that the Don actor had ever given her.
- She told Rediff, "I think the only compliment he has knowingly or unknowingly paid me was that he gave me an opportunity to work with a great co-star like him. That is the biggest compliment I have ever received."
- Furthermore, she added, "Look, when we started working together, we were at a very impressionable stage. Each one left his or her impression on the other. If you saw a crowd in those days from a top angle, you just saw a whole sea of heads with the Amitabh hairstyle."
- She also said that she does not deny that Amitabh Bachchan's unique style was sometimes seen in her performances.
Background
Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan are most fondly remembered for their performances and chemistry in Silsila. Some of their other hits include Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Suhaag, Do Anjaane and Ram Balram.
Amitabh Bachchan married fellow actor and his co-star of several films, Jaya Bachchan, in 1973. In the 80s, when rumours of Rekha's association with Amitabh Bachchan were all over glossy magazines, director Yash Chopra gave an interview to BBC Asia's Sonia Deol about Silsila.
Yash Chopra said, "I was always on tenterhooks and scared because it was real life coming into reel life. Jaya is his wife, and Rekha is his girlfriend; the same story is going on. Anything could have happened because they are working together."
Silsila, a Yash Chopra film about an extramarital affair, did not find many takers in 1980s India. The film was declared a commercial flop.
However, decades later, Silsila has gained a cult status; a legend that has endured, largely because of the trio at the centre: Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and Rekha.