‘Rekha wanted to spend evenings with Amitabh Bachchan’: Ranjeet reveals why she walked out of his film

Veteran actor Ranjeet has opened up about a surprising behind-the-scenes moment involving Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan, one that, according to him, changed the course of his directorial debut, Kaaranama.

Actor Ranjeet said the film's shooting time became a point of conflict

In an interview, Ranjeet shared how Rekha, a longtime friend and his co-star from Sawan Bhadon, exited the project due to a personal request that couldn’t be accommodated.

“After I quit acting, I wrote a script and planned to direct Kaaranama with Dharmendra, Rekha, and Jaya Prada,” Ranjeet said. “Rekha and I go way back... we were friends since my first ever scene in Sawan Bhadon was with her.”

“One day, Rekha called me and asked if I could shift the shoot to mornings. She said she wanted to keep her evenings free to spend time with Amitabh Bachchan,” he revealed.

Though the request was personal, Ranjeet said he couldn't accommodate the change. “I politely declined, and she chose to walk away from the film. She even returned the signing amount.”

The impact was immediate — the schedule was disrupted, Dharmendra moved on to other commitments, and Anita Raaj was suggested as a replacement. Ultimately, Kaaranama was completed with a different cast, including Farah, Kimi Katkar, and Vinod Khanna. The film, released in 1990, had a modest performance at the box office.

Ranjeet later directed Gajab Tamasha (1992) with Anu Agarwal and Rahul Roy, but it too failed to leave a mark.

Despite the change, Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha’s on-screen chemistry remains legendary. Their pairing in Silsila (1981) became emblematic of their alleged off-screen relationship, sparking headlines and speculation that still persist. The duo also starred together in several other hit films such as Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Mr. Natwarlal (1979), Suhaag (1979), Do Anjaane (1976), and Ram Balram (1980).

Rekha was briefly married to industrialist Mukesh Agarwal in 1990, but the marriage ended tragically with his death the following year.

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