Rekha Shot Parineeta Song Kaisi Yeh Pehli On Amitabh Bachchan's Kaun Banega Crorepati Set
Composer Shantanu Moitra recalls meeting Rekha during the Parineeta shoot, sharing how she welcomed him warmly on the Kaun Banega Crorepati set.
As Parineeta marks two decades since its release, composer Shantanu Moitra has shared a special memory from the film's shoot. The musical drama, which introduced Vidya Balan to the big screen and featured the late Pradeep Sarkar as director, holds a unique place in Hindi cinema. Shantanu recalled his first meeting with the legendary actress Rekha, who starred in a cameo for the song Kaisi Paheli Zindagaani.
Speaking to Radio Nasha, Shantanu said, 'When I found out that Rekha ji was doing Kaisi Paheli, I was like, 'Wow'. But let me tell you a story about that. I got a call from Pradeep Sarkar. He called me to the set for the song's shoot. But I was working on some other songs at the time, so I told him that I was busy. He said that Rekha ji wanted to meet me. I was stunned."
He recalled that the song was being shot in the same sets as Amitabh Bachchan's Kaun Banega Crorepati. 'They took me to her makeup room. They were shooting the song in the same set where they shoot Kaun Banega Crorepati these days. This was the first time I'd been inside a makeup room, and it had those light bulbs around the mirror. Back to camera, the diva was sitting," he said.
Shantanu added, 'She looked around and asked, 'You've made the song? It's amazing, I hope I can do justice to it. I have a small request. I would like you to stay for the shoot.' She was talking to a first-timer, I will never forget it. She would occasionally make eye-contact with me, as if to ask if it was going alright." He also praised director Pradeep Sarkar's detailed planning, explaining how every shot was carefully storyboarded before filming.
Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha: Bollywood's Most Talked-About Pairing
While Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan have always denied any off-screen relationship, their on-screen chemistry remains one of Bollywood's most enduring and fascinating topics. Their 1981 film Silsila is often remembered as their most iconic work together, though they shared screen space in many others, including Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), Mr. Natwarlal (1979), and Ram Balram (1980).
Their pairing created a buzz that defined an era in Hindi cinema. In a special interview celebrating 25 years of her career, Rekha spoke about the respect she holds for Amitabh and revealed the best compliment he ever gave her — one that left a lasting impression. She once said, in a chat with Rediff, 'I think the only compliment he has knowingly or unknowingly paid me was that he gave me an opportunity to work with a great co-star like him. That is the biggest compliment I have ever received."
view comments
First Published:
August 12, 2025, 12:47 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
13 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Mahavatar Narsimha Hindi Box Office: Hombale's animated blockbuster collects Rs 124 crore in 3 weeks, gets impacted by War 2 and Coolie
Mahavatar Narsimha has been a surprise blockbuster, setting new records with its phenomenal theatrical run. Directed by Ashwin Kumar, the blockbuster movie has performed exceptionally well at the box office, particularly in its Hindi-speaking markets. It has been out for three weeks since its release today. Let's take a look back at its overall collection in Hindi so far. Mahavatar Narsimha (Hindi) fetches Rs 45.25 crore in 3rd week, collects Rs 124 crore overall Released on July 25, 2025, the Hindi version of Mahavatar Narsimha earned Rs 29 crore in the first week of its release. Ashwin Kumar's movie then fetched Rs 50 crore in the second week. The blockbuster film added Rs 1.75 crore on the third Thursday, bringing its third week's business to Rs 45.25 crore. Now, the three-week cume collection of Mahavatar Narsimha stands at Rs 124.25 crore in Hindi markets. Mahavatar Narsimha faces War 2 and Coolie Mahavatar Narsimha, a joint venture of Hombale Films and Kleem Productions, finally met with War 2 and Coolie at the box office today. Touted as the highest-grossing animated movie in India, it was impacted by the arrival of both the new releases. Mahavatar Narsimha earlier left behind Dhadak 2 and Son of Sardaar 2. Now, all eyes are on how the devotional blockbuster movie will sustain itself amid the big clash in the upcoming week. Since both Hrithik Roshan's and Rajinikanth 's respective films have faced rejection in Hindi markets, Mahavatar Narsimha will gain momentum during the weekend. Mahavatar Narsimha in theaters Mahavatar Narsimha plays in theaters now. Tickets for the movie can be booked from the box office or online ticketing applications and websites. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘AR Rahman doesn't need Hindi cinema anymore, he gets more creative freedom in Chennai,' says Ranjit Barot
AR Rahman's long-time collaborator and celebrated musician Ranjit Barot recently opened up about the Oscar-winning composer's unmatched work ethic and how his relentless dedication helped shape his journey to the top. In a conversation with O2India, Ranjit shared, 'I think he's blessed, but I don't like to put too much weight on that, because it takes away from the hard work he's put in. Everyone says, 'He's blessed, he's blessed.' But what is blessing, really? To me, it's acknowledging that you've been touched by a pure force, and then working on it. We're all blessed in some way, but the real question is: what are we doing with it? Everyone has a different path and a different journey. He does what he does because, in a way, he has been working like this 24/7 for 40 years. That's what you call being blessed. Blessing isn't just a label. Yes, we all feel blessed in some way, and yes, in our karmic journey, he has grown to this level. He has worked for many lifetimes to become this person, and then he happens to be in the right place at the right time. The fact that Ilaiyaraaja said no to Roja and Rahman grabbed the opportunity, these things definitely helped him. But the rest is all his hard work.' Also Read | AR Rahman sang 'Vande Matram' at 2 am, filmmaker recalls wanting to keep it 'romantic': 'I was in tears…vohi recording aaj gaane mein hai' Ranjit Barot also reflected on how the Hindi film industry may no longer provide AR Rahman with the creative freedom he once enjoyed, suggesting that his talents find a more fitting home in Tamil cinema today. 'Now, yes, currently. There was a time when Hindi film directors were given the same amount of freedom. But now, he doesn't really need the Hindi cinema scene that much; he's beyond all that. Yes, he's originally from Chennai, so his roots are there. But having said that, he's not just some Carnatic musician, he's a Sufi musician. He can do ghazals, he can do North Indian music, he's a classical-based composer, and he's very clued into the North Indian system. It's a shame that the Hindi film industry doesn't make more use of his genius — that's their loss. In Chennai, they allow him to be who he is, and he's happy with it.' Recently, AR Rahman composed the music for the blockbuster Chhava and for Mani Ratnam's latest film, Thug Life. While Chhava was become one of the highest grossers of the year, Thug Life unfortunately failed to leave a mark at the ticket window.
Hindustan Times
43 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
War 2 vs Coolie box office: Rajinikanth shows who's the boss; beats Hrithik Roshan in Hindi belt, NTR in Telugu states
This was the most mouth-watering box office clash in Indian cinema in a long time. In the blue corner was a combination of two 21st-century stars - Hindi cinema's Hrithik Roshan and Telugu cinema's Jr NTR - coming together for Yash Raj Films' War 2. In the red corner, the OG superstar - Rajinikanth - shouldered Lokesh Kanagaraj's newest thriller, Coolie, aided by appearances from big names in every industry. The clash was as pan-India as one could be. And in the end, it's the 74-year-old Rajni who has proved why he deserves the tag of superstar more than anyone else. War 2 vs Coolie box office: Rajinikanth has reigned supreme in this Independence Day clash. War 2 vs Coolie box office report War 2 is part of the YRF Spy Universe, which includes the Tiger films and Pathaan, and is the sequel to Hrithik and Tiger Shroff-starrer War (2019). Given that all Spy Universe films had strong openings, with a couple (including War) setting all-time records at the time of release, expectations were high for War 2. This was further boosted by the pan-India appeal of the film due to Jr NTR's presence. But War 2 did not live up to that promise. In the end, War earned ₹45 crore net in India on its opening day, a less than part 1 ( ₹51 crore), but much below Pathaan's ₹57 crore mark. Coolie, on the other hand, buoyed by Rajini's superstardom, broke several records and ended up grossing ₹61 crore in India on day 1, the highest opening day for the superstar ahead of his all-time blockbuster, Enthiran. Coolie won this box office battle despite releasing in fewer screens nationally as compared to War 2. How Rajinikanth beat Hrithik Roshan, Jr NTR on their own turfs As had been expected, Coolie dominated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, traditional strongholds of Rajinikanth. Across regions, Coolie's occupancy for the original Tamil version was a staggering 84%. But surprisingly enough, the Telugu dub did better. In Chennai, Coolie's Telugu dub registered 100% occupancy, selling out all shows. Coolie had a staggering 91% occupancy in Telugu, spread across over 900 shows in India. Jr NTR, the local star, could manage 'just' 72% occupancy for War 2's Telugu version. In Hyderabad, the film's occupancy was 74%, as compared to 97% for Coolie. Rajinikanth reigned supreme even in the Hindi belt in a similar fashion, even though War 2 featured Hrithik Roshan, considered by many to be one of the most bankable stars around. Coolie registered 29% occupancy across India for its Hindi-dubbed version, with Hindi-heavy centres like Lucknow leading with 44% occupancy. In comparison, War 2 had a day 1 Hindi occupancy of 23%. In Lucknow, it was 38%. The only saving grace for War 2 was that in both Hindi and Telugu, it had more shows than Coolie, so it stayed ahead in absolute earnings. But Rajinikanth's Coolie dented both the films in their bastions, sending a clear signal to exhibitors about audience preferences. It will be interesting to see how theatres and cinema chains react to this in terms of screen sharing over the weekend. About War 2 and Coolie Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, stars Rajinikanth alongside Nagarjuna, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, and Soubin Shahir. War 2, part of the YRF Spy Universe, stars Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR, along with Kiara Advani and Ashutosh Rana.
