Silsila (1981 Film)

''Silsila'' () is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language musical romantic drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Yash Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Rekha, and Sanjeev Kumar in leading roles. The narrative follows a playwright, Amit, who finds himself caught in a love triangle involving his wife, Shobha, and his former lover Chandni. The music was composed by Shiv–Hari, with lyrics by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Javed Akhtar, Nida Fazli, Hasan Kamal, Rajendra Krishan, and Mirabai.

The film drew significant attention during production due to its casting, which mirrored real-life speculation surrounding the lead actors. Principal photography took place between November 1980 and May 1981 across locations in Amsterdam, Bombay (now Mumbai), Delhi, and Kashmir.

Released theatrically on 14 August 1981, ''Silsila'' underperformed at the box office, earning approximately ₹30 million. Upon release, it received mixed-to-negative reviews, with criticism directed at its storyline and performances. Despite its critical and commercial failure, the film received three nominations at the 29th Filmfare Awards: Best Actor (Amitabh Bachchan), Best Actress (Jaya Bachchan), and Best Music Director (Shiv–Hari).

Plot

Brothers Shekhar and Amit Malhotra, orphaned at a young age, share a close bond but lead independent lives. Shekhar is a squadron leader in the Indian Air Force, while Amit is a playwright based in Delhi. Shekhar introduces Amit to his fiancée, Shobha, and the three develop a friendship. Around the same time, Amit falls in love with Chandni, and the two plan to marry.

Before Amit can introduce Chandni to Shekhar, Shekhar is killed in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1971. Shobha is revealed to be pregnant with Shekhar’s child. To protect her from societal stigma and honor his brother’s memory, Amit marries Shobha, ending his relationship with Chandni through a letter. Chandni later marries Dr. V. K. Anand.

Amit and Shobha survive a car accident, after which Shobha suffers a miscarriage. Without a child to connect them, their marriage becomes emotionally distant. Amit and Chandni reconnect and begin meeting in secret. Their renewed relationship raises suspicion, especially from Shobha and her cousin, a police officer investigating a hit-and-run accident involving Amit and Chandni.

Amit decides to leave Shobha and live with Chandni. Shobha, who has developed feelings for Amit, is devastated but believes he will return. When Dr. Anand departs on a business trip, Amit and Chandni plan to leave together. However, news of Anand’s plane crashing prompts them to rush to the site, along with Shobha.

At the crash site, Shobha reveals that she is pregnant. Amit decides to return to her and rescues Anand from the wreckage. Chandni, moved by the events, chooses to stay with her husband. The film ends with Amit and Shobha rebuilding their relationship.

Cast

Cast adapted from Rotten Tomatoes:
* Shashi Kapoor as Sqn. Ldr. Shekhar Malhotra
* Amitabh Bachchan as Amit Malhotra
* Jaya Bachchan as Shobha Malhotra
* Rekha as Chandni Anand
* Sanjeev Kumar as Dr. V. K. Anand
* Sudha Chopra as Shobha's mother
* Sushma Seth as Amit's benefactor
* Kulbhushan Kharbanda as police officer Kulbhushan, Shobha's cousin (guest appearance)
* Deven Verma as Vidyarthi (guest appearance)

Production

Development

''Silsila'' was produced and directed by Yash Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The screenplay was co-written by Chopra and Sagar Sarhadi, based on a story developed by Sarhadi and Preeti Bedi. Dialogue was written by Romesh Sharma. The film explored the theme of extramarital affairs—an uncommon subject in Hindi cinema at the time. Following the commercial underperformance of his action films, Chopra chose to return to the romantic genre for his next project. According to Sarhadi, Chopra was deeply committed to the subject, stating that he "fell madly in love with the story."

The film’s background score was composed by Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia (credited as Shiv–Hari), and the final edit was handled by Keshav Naidu. The runtime of the film is 166 minutes.

Casting

The casting of ''Silsila'' attracted significant media attention prior to its release. The film featured Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and Rekha in lead roles at a time when Bachchan’s alleged off-screen relationship with Rekha was the subject of public speculation. Chopra later described managing to cast the three actors together as his "greatest achievement."

Initial plans had considered Parveen Babi and Smita Patil for the roles eventually played by Rekha and Jaya Bachchan, respectively, but they were replaced on the recommendation of Amitabh Bachchan, who had agreed to star in the film in 1980. Rekha reportedly designed her own costumes and jewelry for the film. ''Silsila'' marked her final collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan.

Filming

Principal photography began in November 1980 and continued through May 1981. Shooting took place across multiple locations, including Kashmir, Amsterdam, Bombay (now Mumbai), and Delhi. Cinematography was handled by Raju Kaygee. Chopra opted to conduct the shoot privately to avoid media coverage, describing the experience as "real life coming into reel life." Despite the speculation surrounding the film's cast, Chopra stated that all principal actors were cooperative during production.

Rekha recalled discomfort during the cold-weather shoots in Delhi, particularly the late afternoon schedules, and noted that she participated out of respect for Chopra.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for ''Silsila'' was composed by Shiv–Hari and released by Saregama on 18 May 1981. The lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar, Hasan Kamal, Mirabai, Nida Fazli, Rajendra Krishan, and Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and the 15th-century poet-saint Mirabai.

The film marked the debut of Javed Akhtar as a lyricist, following his work as a screenwriter in the Salim–Javed duo. His first written song for the film, "Dekha Ek Khwab," was selected after Yash Chopra heard his poetry and was impressed by its lyrical quality.

The soundtrack includes several notable tracks, including "Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum," which was later performed by Lata Mangeshkar in her live concert ''Lata Live''. Another standout track, " Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali," sung by Amitabh Bachchan and penned by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, became widely associated with the Holi festival and remains one of the most played Holi songs in popular culture.

Reception

Box office

''Silsila'' was released theatrically on 14 August 1981. Despite the high-profile cast and media attention surrounding its production, the film underperformed at the box office. Yash Chopra later attributed its failure to the public's preoccupation with the off-screen speculation surrounding the cast, which overshadowed the film's narrative. Approximately one week after release, a special screening was held at Mumbai’s Metro Cinema, generating ₹1.5 million in ticket sales, of which ₹1 million was donated to the Nargis Dutt Foundation.

Critical reception

Upon release, ''Silsila'' received mixed-to-negative reviews. Sunil Sethi of ''India Today'' criticized the film for its conventional storyline and unconvincing characterizations, describing it as "pure polyester yarn" and inferior to the real-life gossip it sought to dramatize. He concluded that the film looked visually appealing but was "a distortion of half-lies, which is worse."

Film scholar Rachel Dwyer noted that Amitabh Bachchan's portrayal of a romantic lead in ''Silsila'' was at odds with his established image as the "angry young man" from earlier films such as '' Deewaar'' (1975), making his role less convincing to audiences at the time.

Despite its initial reception, Chopra later named ''Silsila'' as one of his personal favorites in a 2011 interview.

Accolades

Legacy

Though ''Silsila'' underperformed at the box office upon its release in 1981, it has gained retrospective recognition for its thematic audacity and nuanced portrayal of romantic and marital relationships within urban Indian society. The film explored extramarital love with a degree of emotional realism rarely seen in Hindi cinema at the time, and is now regarded as one of Yash Chopra’s most discussed and debated works.

The casting of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, and Rekha—amidst ongoing speculation about their real-life relationships—generated substantial media attention during production and release. Film scholar Rachel Dwyer wrote that the film "blurred the boundaries between real life and reel life," which both amplified its popularity and contributed to its controversial reception. Chopra later reflected that convincing all three actors to participate was one of his greatest achievements.

In subsequent years, ''Silsila'' has often been cited as one of the most iconic performances for each of its lead actors. ''Filmfare'' included Amitabh Bachchan’s role among his finest, while Jaya Bachchan’s performance was singled out as one of her most memorable for its quiet dignity and emotional restraint. Rekha’s portrayal of Chandni is also widely regarded as one of her definitive screen roles, praised for its grace and introspective intensity.

''Silsila'' has featured prominently in retrospective lists of Chopra’s most important films, including those by ''The Indian Express'', ''NDTV'', and ''Film Companion'', who cited its romantic imagery, musical richness, and narrative ambition. ''The Times of India'' included the film in a feature titled “34 Lessons Learnt from ''Silsila'',” commending its layered treatment of love, fidelity, and emotional sacrifice.

The music, composed by Shiv–Hari with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, and others, remains an essential part of the film’s legacy. Songs such as “Yeh Kahaan Aa Gaye Hum” and “ Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali” became cultural touchstones, with the latter gaining enduring popularity as a Holi anthem. Akhtar, who wrote his first song for this film, later credited ''Silsila'' with launching his career as a lyricist.

Over the years, the film has been the subject of critical reappraisals and anniversary screenings, including a special theatrical presentation on Valentine's Day in 2025. While it marked a commercial setback for Chopra at the time, he consistently referred to ''Silsila'' as one of his personal favourites.

References

External links

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''Silsila''
at Bollywood Hungama
{{Yash Chopra

1981 films
1980s Hindi-language films
1981 romantic drama films
Films directed by Yash Chopra
Films scored by Shiv-Hari
Yash Raj Films films
Films about adultery in India
Indian romantic drama films
Indian aviation films
Films shot in Amsterdam
Films shot in Delhi
Films shot in Mumbai