Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha — two of Bollywood’s biggest icons — have shared a bond that has fascinated fans for decades. Their sizzling on-screen chemistry was matched by whispers of a real-life connection, fuelling endless rumours. But not all stories made it to the public eye — until this one time actor Ranjeet revealed how Rekha once chose personal time with Amitabh over a film role.A dream project with Rekha and DharmendraAfter years of playing the villain in Bollywood, Ranjeet decided to step behind the camera. He wrote a script and planned to direct his first film with a star-studded cast, Dharmendra, Rekha and Jaya Prada.In a chat with Rediff in 2015 he said, “After I quit acting, I wrote a script and decided to direct a film with Dharmendra, Rekha and Jaya Prada,” he shared. It looked like the perfect start. Rekha, who had been his co-star in his very first film, was ready to be part of it too. “Rekha and I were good friends since I gave the first shot of my life with her in ‘Sawan Bhadon’,” he recalled.Everything seemed to be falling into place. But things took a surprising turn, and it had nothing to do with acting.Rekha’s personal requestThe film, which was titled ‘Kaaranama’, was planned with an evening shoot schedule. But one day, Ranjeet got an unexpected call from Rekha. “The entire first schedule of Kaaranama was an evening shift. One day, Rekha called and requested if I could move the schedule to a morning shift as she wanted to spend the evenings with Amitabh Bachchan.” This simple request put Ranjeet in a tough spot. Changing the whole shoot schedule was not possible. So, he had to say no. “I cordially refused, so she left the film and returned the signing amount.”Exit Rekha, enter troubleRekha’s decision to walk away caused a ripple effect. The schedule was pushed back, Dharmendra moved on to other projects, and the entire plan had to change. Ranjeet said Dharmendra even suggested Anita Raaj to replace Rekha. But in the end, the film took a different direction. ‘Kaaranama’ was eventually completed with a new cast, including Farah, Kimi Katkar and Vinod Khanna. It hit cinemas in 1990. “It did average business (when it released in 1990),” the iconic villain said.
