Yash Chopra about filming with Rekha and Jaya Bachchan in Silsila: 'I was always scared'

The man who made Indians dream and believe in what love truly is; Yash Chopra may not be with us anymore but his legacy lives forever. The chiffon sarees, the rains, the Swiss Alps, the heart-touching melodies, the pain of separation, the insecurity in love; Chopra gave new definition to romantic movies in Bollywood. With films like Silsila, Chandni, Veer Zara, Lamhe, the iconic Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and lots more; the visionary director left behind a treasure we can always look back on.

Out of all the films he did, one of his boldest movies till date remains – Silsila. The real-life meets reel life coup was not something anyone else could have pulled off. The fact that there was Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Jaya Bachchan paired opposite each-other was a gutsy move. Chopra had earlier brought onboard Parveen Babi and Smita Patil for the roles. And it was Amitabh Bachchan who asked him to reconsider.

Talking about it, in a BBC interview, Yash Chopra had said, "It was Amitji who asked me if I was happy... content with the casting (Smita, Parveen and Amitabh) and do I feel it is the ideal casting. I told him I wanted to cast him, Jayaji and Rekha. He took a long pause and told me that he was fine with the decision but asked me to convince the two actresses."

He further revealed, "I was always on tenterhooks and scared because it was real life coming into reel life. I had told both (Jaya and Rekha) of them that koi gadbadi na ho."

Talking about his love for Switzerland, his wife Pamela Chopra had once said, "Switzerland happened because we could no longer go to Kashmir. That was the only reason. Plus, the infrastructure in Switzerland is so simple that anybody can go and shoot there; you hardly need any permission. In India, if you have to shoot in a train, you have to start the paperwork six months ahead with various organisations. But there, the person who is present at the station is in charge and he has the authority to tell you whether you can shoot or not."