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.”
