When Rekha recalled how Amitabh Bachchan made her feel better while shooting for Silsila; said, 'When I hugged Amitji, everyone...'

Rekha and Amitabh

The on-screen pairing of Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha in the 1981 cult classic Silsila remains iconic, but the film's production was not without its challenges. In a 1994 interview with Movie magazine editor Dinesh Raheja, Rekha candidly recalled a nerve-wracking moment during the filming of the intense "I hate you" scene. With 15,000 people on set and the pressure of delivering emotionally charged lines, Rekha found herself overwhelmed.

The scene required her to cry and deliver powerful dialogue in front of a massive crowd at five in the morning. Feeling the weight of the moment, Rekha asked director Yash Chopra for additional time to prepare, but he refused. It was Amitabh Bachchan who came to her aid, sharing a unique anecdote about actor James Dean during the filming of Giant.

Amitabh recounted how James Dean overcame his nerves in front of a large crowd by doing something daring—urinating in public to convince himself that nothing worse could happen. While Amitabh clarified he didn’t mean it literally, his advice to Rekha was simple: “Come on. This is acting.”

Rekha admitted that Amitabh’s words helped ease her anxiety. She recalled, “I said to Amitji, ‘Excuse me, that really makes me feel better.’ He said, ‘I don’t mean it literally, but you know what I mean.’”

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When the cameras started rolling, the crowd fell silent, creating an intense atmosphere. After the scene concluded, Rekha hugged Amitabh as part of the shot. “Start, camera, action sunte hi sab chup ho gaye. End mein when I hugged Amitji, toh sab bole, ‘Ooooh’. I had a hard time trying to control my expression," Rekha shared.

The chemistry between Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha in Silsila fueled rumours of an off-screen relationship.