Logo

Logo

How Amitabh Bachchan helped Rekha with an intense scene in ‘Silsila’

In an old interivew, veteran thespian Rekha recalled how Amitabh Bachchan helped calm her during the “I Hate You” scene in ‘Silsila.’

How Amitabh Bachchan helped Rekha with an intense scene in ‘Silsila’

File photo

Veteran stars Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha’s film ‘Silsila’ remains an iconic film to date. The title also starred Jaya Bachchan and the film made waves for its casting while trumping box office. The film also marks the last collaboration between Amitabh and Rekha whose affair rumours still spark conversations. While the title emerged as a hit, filming ‘Silsila’ wasn’t an easy job. In a 1994 interview with Dinesh Raheja, Rekha opened up about an unnerving moment during the intense “I hate you” scene. Having to act in front of 15,000 people, the actress felt anxious about filming the emotionally challenging scene. Reminiscing about it, she revealed how Big B helped her calm down with a James Dean story.

Recounting, Rekha said, “It was such an intense scene and there were 15,000 people on the location at five in the morning. I had major lines to speak, crying et al. I asked Yashji (Chopra, Director) for time, but he said no. Then Amitji related an incident. He said, James Dean in a film called Giant faced a similar dilemma. He just turned around and did Number 1 (urinated) in front of the crowd. That made him feel on top of the world. James Dean thought to himself, ‘Isse bura kya ho sakta hai?’ and gave a perfect shot.”

Advertisement

To her surprise, the story helped Rekha calm her nerves and she expressed her gratitude towards Amitabh Bachchan. She revealed, “I said to Amitji, ‘Excuse me, that really makes me feel better.’ He said, ‘I don’t mean it literally, but you know what I mean, come on. This is acting.’” As one might expect, after the cameras rolled and Rekha delivered the scene and hugged Big B, the crowd erupted in loud cheers. She stated, “Start, camera, action sunte hi sab chup ho gaye. End mein when I hugged Amitji, toh sab bole, ‘Ooooh’. I had a hard time trying to control my expression.”

Advertisement

Also Read: When Jaya Bachchan commented on Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha’s affair rumours

Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha have delivered several hits that solidified their footing as a leading on-screen pair. These include ‘Do Anjaane,’ ‘Alaap,’ ‘Khoon Pasina,’ ‘Ganga Ki Saugandh,’ and ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar. They also starred in ‘Mr Natwarlal,’ ‘Suhaag,’ ‘Ram Balram’ and ‘Silsila.’

Advertisement