Yash Chopra classic flashback: ‘Silsila’ (1981)

There are just seven weeks until the release of”Jab Tak Hai Jaan’,��Yash Chopra’s last movie as director. In what promises to be a tale filled with all the essential ingredients that have been present in all of Chopra’s films, ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ will definitely be special. BizAsia is taking a weekly trip down memory lane and taking a closer look at some of the films that make Chopra’s style and treatment so sought after. The first on our list is 1981’s ‘Silsila’.

Starring the beautiful Rekha, the handsome Amitabh Bachchan, the perfectly innocent Jaya Bachchan and the dashing Shashi Kapoor, ‘Silsila’ story evokes emotion in all romantic, much like every other movie associated with Chopra. The appeal of the film is in its magical romance between the character played by Rekha and Bachchan. However, in an inevitable��twist to the tale, in true Bollywood style, there are also appropriate portions of sacrifice, judaai and also a little of the forbidden thrown in for effect.

The film reportedly didn’t do too well at the box office at the time of its release but has since seen love for it surpass the years. The love for the film has developed for several reasons and it has to be said that the soundtrack of the movie is one of them; it is��simply flawless. Chopra’s romantic vision is shown in the songs shot in Holland with Rekha and Bachchan. The poetry featured in the film is also it’s USP, setting it apart from your average love story – as if it’s controversial plot wasn’t enough!

Best scenes:

Drunken scene between Bachchan and Kapoor towards the beginning.

Rekha and Jaya ‘showdown’ as wife versus old love.

What one can’t help but love:

Every time one watches ‘Silsila’, one can’t help but fall for Bachchan’s performance as Amit. His voice, his tall and handsome appearance and his pyar-karne-waala style is just unmatchable. Credit goes very much to Chopra who uses the chemistry between Bachchan and Rekha well to leave audiences completely mesmerised.

‘Silsila’ is undoubtedly a cult classic and signifies everything that Chopra is known for in the romantic genre. It leaves even a cynic believing in the power of love what with carefully etched characters and scenes which are, quite simply, unforgettably heart-touching.