When Rekha skipped a film to spend evenings with Amitabh Bachchan: Ranjeet spilled the tea

Here's a flashback gem that takes us behind the scenes of Bollywood's most talked-about off-screen connection, Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha. In a candid chat with Rediff back in 2015, veteran actor Ranjeet spilled some interesting beans from the time he swapped his villainous roles for a director's chair.

Post his successful acting stint, Ranjeet was all set to make his directorial debut with a film titled Kaaranama. The cast? Nothing short of a dream lineup, Dharmendra, Rekha, and Jaya Prada. Rekha, who had shared screen space with Ranjeet in his very first film Sawan Bhadon (1970), was not just on board, but also a dear friend. Things were rolling smoothly until, well, the real drama kicked in.

Ranjeet recalled how Rekha made a very personal request: she asked him to shift the film's shooting schedule from evening to morning shifts. Why, you ask? Because she wanted to keep her evenings free to spend time with none other than Amitabh Bachchan. Yep, you read that right.

Now, Ranjeet being the no-nonsense guy he is, politely declined. The schedule was locked, and shifting it wasn't feasible. Rekha, gracefully, returned the signing amount and exited the project. But the domino effect had begun. Dharmendra, caught up with other commitments, suggested Anita Raaj as a replacement. Eventually, the film wrapped up with an entirely different cast: Farah, Kimi Katkar, and Vinod Khanna. Kaaranama hit the screens in 1990 and did average business.

Ranjeet didn't give up, though. He returned with Gajab Tamasha in 1992, featuring Anu Agarwal and Rahul Roy, but sadly, the film failed to impress.

The Rekha-Amitabh equation has always been Bollywood's favorite unsolved mystery ever since their sizzling chemistry in Silsila (1981), a film that itself mirrored off-screen whispers. They've also set screens ablaze in hits like Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Mr. Natwarlal, and Ram Balram. Today, Ranjeet enjoys life away from the camera, often delighting fans with his cheerful Instagram posts and throwback tales.