Jaya Bachchan never wanted to work in Amitabh Bachchan’s Silsila: ‘She deeply disliked Rekha,’ reveals Hanif Zaveri | Hindi Movie News

The alleged love triangle between Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan and Rekha remains one of Bollywood’s most talked-about controversies. Veteran author and film historian Hanif Zaveri, in a recent conversation on the Meri Sahelli podcast, unveiled intriguing details about Amitabh Bachchan’s early struggles, his romance with Jaya Bachchan, and the long-standing rumours surrounding his equation with Rekha.
Hrishikesh Mukherjee initially signed Amitabh Bachchan as the lead opposite Jaya Bachchan (then Bhaduri) in Guddi. However, as the film progressed, Amitabh was dropped because some of his previous movies had flopped, and producers doubted his suitability for the role. He was replaced by Bengali actor Samit Bhanja, yet this project unknowingly paved the way for Amitabh and Jaya’s first meeting.
Although Guddi didn’t bring them together professionally, love blossomed on the sets of Ek Nazar—their first film as co-stars. Jaya, deeply in love with Amitabh, played a key role in his rise to stardom.
“No leading actress was initially willing to work with Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer,” Hanif Zaveri revealed. “But Jaya insisted, ‘Take Amitabh Bachchan; I will work with him.’ This decision proved crucial in securing Amitabh’s place in Bollywood, as Zanjeer became his breakthrough film.”
Before the highly speculated Amitabh-Rekha-Jaya saga, Jaya and Rekha shared a warm friendship. When Jaya moved to Mumbai from the Pune Film Institute, actor Asrani helped her find a rental flat. Rekha, frequently traveling between Madras and Mumbai, also lived in the same building. Their proximity led to a bond, and Jaya even convinced Rekha to sign Duniya Ka Mela. However, Amitabh was eventually replaced in the film by Sanjay Khan.
The 1981 film Silsila has long been rumored to be inspired by Amitabh’s real-life love triangle with Jaya and Rekha. But according to Hanif Zaveri, that was far from the truth.
“Yash Chopra attempted to portray that love dynamic on screen, but in reality, Jaya Bachchan never wanted to work in Silsila. She deeply disliked Rekha.”

Hanif further shared an incident from their time in the Rajya Sabha, where Jaya allegedly insisted that Amitabh not sit too close to Rekha and be seated slightly behind her, revealing the lasting tension between them.
Jaya had made up her mind to reject Silsila, but Sanjeev Kumar, whom she considered a “Rakhi brother,” persuaded her. “I am also in the film. Why are you refusing?” he reportedly asked. Jaya finally agreed—but with one condition: she would be present on set every day, whether or not she had scenes to shoot.

Though Silsila wasn’t a massive box office success upon release, it is now considered a classic. Interestingly, the film also marked Javed Akhtar’s first venture as a lyricist.