Parveen Babi Cried When She Was Replaced By Jaya Bachchan In Silsila 'Because Of A Controversy', Recalls Ranjeet

Veteran actor Ranjeet said that Parveen Babi was initially slated to star alongside Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan in Silsila but was eventually replaced by Jaya Bachchan. 

New Delhi: Veteran actor Ranjeet shared an anecdote from the Bollywood archives about a casting twist in the iconic 1981 film 'Silsila.' According to him, the late Parveen Babi was initially slated to star alongside Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan but was eventually replaced by Jaya Bachchan. 

In an interview with ANI, Ranjeet reminisced about his friendship with Parveen Babi, recalling her disappointment upon being ousted from the significant project.  

Parveen Babi was supposed to do Silisila
“She (Parveen Babi) was my dear friend… she was all alone. She was a beautiful lady. Always smiling and we used to call her ‘fawada‘ because of her teeth… Once she was very upset and she was crying. I asked her ‘Kya hua Parveen? (What happened Parveen?)’ We were in Kashmir. 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 Bhaduri in the film otherwise it was Parveen and Rekha,” he told ANI. 

Ranjeet on his friendship with Sanjeev Kumar
The seasoned actor further elaborated on his camaraderie with the late Sanjeev Kumar.  

“He used to live in Pali Hill…every person has a spending threshold, I want this thing but can’t afford it, still, I would take it even if have to take the loan… he was not like that. He didn’t want to…his father died, his brother died, so many people died, you know. Wo to destiny hoti hai,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Ranjeet also spoke about losing actors like Shashi Kapoor, Dutt Sahib, and Rajesh Khanna, among others.  

“Many actors have gone. Shashi Kapoor, I used to work with all these guys. Dutt sahib, Raaj Kumar, Rajesh Khanna. Every day we were together. Char-panch hero hote the, char-panch villain hote the (there were four-five heroes and four-five villians),” he said. 

Gopal Bedi, better known as Ranjeet, carved a distinct niche for himself as one of Bollywood's most memorable villains. Born in September 1941, his illustrious career spans numerous films and television appearances.