'Rekha wanted to spend her evenings with Amitabh Bachchan': Ranjeet shares real reason why actress left...

Over the years, many tales have surfaced about Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha—some linked to their films, others to their personal lives. But one lesser-known and straightforward account came from actor Ranjeet in a 2015 conversation with Rediff.

He revealed that Rekha once made a personal appeal that led him to make a significant change in the cast of his first film as a director. Ranjeet once shared that after stepping away from acting, he turned to directing and planned a film starring Dharmendra, Rekha, and Jaya Prada.

It was an exciting beginning, especially with Rekha, who had been his close friend since their debut together in Sawan Bhadon. “We’ve been good friends ever since I gave my first-ever shot with her,” he recalled.

However, the film, titled Kaaranama, took an unexpected turn, unrelated to creative challenges. Ranjeet revealed, "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."

Ranjeet shared that while Rekha’s request was personal, he couldn’t adjust the schedule. “I cordially refused, so she left the film and returned the signing amount,” he recalled.

The impact of Rekha’s exit was felt immediately. The film’s schedule got delayed, and Dharmendra, caught up with other commitments, stepped away as well. He later recommended Anita Raaj to fill Rekha’s place. In the end, Kaaranama was completed with a new cast that included Farah, Kimi Katkar, and Vinod Khanna.

“It did average business when it released in 1990,” Ranjeet recalled.

Amitabh Bachchan shares his life with wife Jaya Bachchan, and together they have two children—Abhishek and Shweta. Rekha, meanwhile, had a short-lived marriage with businessman Mukesh Agarwal in 1990, which ended in heartbreak when he passed away the next year.