When attending sessions with the director Yash Chopra (while working on the music for the film), Amitabh asked Yash what his ideal casting would be for this film. Yash said Jaya, Rekha, and you. Amitabh asked Yash to talk with Jaya for Shobha's role (she was already quite familiar with this project before she was casted for this role). Amitabh then talked to Rekha and convinced her to play Chandni. Previously Yash was contemplating Padmini Kohlapuri (but she was busy with Prem Rog -- a Raj Kapoor project) and later Smita Patil to play Shobha and Parveen Babi to play Chandni's character. I think the whole real life affair issue is overblown BS from the bollywood media machine and does not have too much credence. The movie is not based on their real lives as many believe, Yash had this idea for some time and wanted a big star to play it (AB was at the top of his game back then) due to unconventional/bold nature of the script.
Sanjeev Kumar was also quite reluctant to play a cameo role, but when he read the scenes about the four having dinner together and the scene with Jaya after the Holi incident, he agreed to the role without reading rest of the script.
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A-zone
12 years ago
I totally agree with you "Desibaba". This movie is in no way based on the real life of any of the cast members. The whole "reel-life" vs "real-life" was all the media's creation. But it did provide ENORMOUS publicity to the film before it's release. Any filmmaker would kill for PR like that! I don't think any other movie in Bollywood history has ever had that kind of pre-release hype surrounding it.
Yash Chopra had said in an interview himself that the story was quite mature, sensitive and controversial as well and he needed actors of the highest calibre for it. Only stalwarts like Amitabh, Jaya, and Rekha (and Shashi and Sanjeev as well) could have pulled it off. In my opinion, I think all three of them gave one of their finest performance. Full of subtle nuances and emotions and at no time going overboard with histrionics. (compare that with the "acting" of Shah Rukh Khan who bulges his neck veins, flares his nostrils and starts trembling and stammering in every scene!)
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