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| Silsila | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Yash Chopra |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by |
|
| Produced by | Yash Chopra |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Kay Gee |
| Edited by | Keshav Naidu |
| Music by | Shiv–Hari |
| Distributed by | Yash Raj Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 160 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Box office | ₹35 million[2] |
Silsila (transl. Continuation) is a 1981 IndianHindi-languagemusicalromantic drama film directed, produced, and co-written byYash Chopra under theYash Raj Films banner. The film starsAmitabh Bachchan,Jaya Bachchan,Rekha, andSanjeev Kumar in leading roles. The narrative follows a playwright, Amit, who finds himself caught in alove triangle involving his wife, Shobha, and his former lover Chandni. The music was composed byShiv–Hari, with lyrics byHarivansh Rai Bachchan,Javed Akhtar,Nida Fazli,Hasan Kamal,Rajendra Krishan, andMirabai.
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 inAmsterdam, Bombay (nowMumbai),Delhi, andKashmir.
Released theatrically on 14 August 1981,Silsilaunderperformed 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 initial critical and commercial failure, the film received three nominations at the29th Filmfare Awards:Best Actor (Amitabh Bachchan),Best Actress (Jaya Bachchan), andBest Music Director (Shiv–Hari). It would also go on to receive retrospective praise in later years for its themes, music and nuance.
Brothers Shekhar and Amit Malhotra, orphaned at a young age, share a close bond but lead independent lives. Shekhar is asquadron leader in theIndian Air Force, while Amit is aplaywright based inDelhi. 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 theIndo-Pakistani war of 1971. Shobha is revealed to be pregnant with Shekhar’s child. To protect her fromsocietal 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 acar accident, after which Shobha suffers amiscarriage. 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 ahit-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 abusiness 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 adapted fromRotten Tomatoes:[3]
Silsila was produced and directed byYash Chopra under theYash Raj Films banner.[4][5] The screenplay was co-written by Chopra andSagar Sarhadi, based on a story developed by Sarhadi and Preeti Bedi.[4] Dialogue was written by Romesh Sharma.[4] The film explored the theme ofextramarital affairs—an uncommon subject in Hindi cinema at the time.[6] Following the commercial underperformance of his action films, Chopra chose to return to the romantic genre for his next project.[7] According to Sarhadi, Chopra was deeply committed to the subject, stating that he "fell madly in love with the story."[8]
The film’s background score was composed byShivkumar Sharma andHariprasad Chaurasia (credited as Shiv–Hari), and the final edit was handled by Keshav Naidu.[8] The runtime of the film is 166 minutes.[4]
The casting ofSilsila attracted significant media attention prior to its release. The film featuredAmitabh Bachchan,Jaya Bachchan, andRekha in lead roles at a time when Bachchan’s alleged off-screen relationship with Rekha was the subject of public speculation.[9] Chopra later described managing to cast the three actors together as his "greatest achievement."[5]
Initial plans had consideredParveen Babi andSmita 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.[9][7] Rekha reportedly designed her own costumes and jewellery for the film.[9]Silsila marked her final collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan.[10]
When Chopra initially askedSanjeev Kumar to star in the film, the latter refused the offer. However, Bachchan later persuaded him to play Dr Anand.[11]
Principal photography began in November 1980 and continued through May 1981. Shooting took place across multiple locations, includingKashmir,Amsterdam, Bombay (nowMumbai), andDelhi.[7][9]Cinematography was handled by Raju Kaygee.[4] Chopra opted to conduct the shoot privately to avoid media coverage, describing the experience as "real life coming into reel life."[7] Despite the speculation surrounding the film's cast, Chopra stated that all principal actors were cooperative during production.[9]
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.[9]
The soundtrack forSilsila was composed byShiv–Hari and released bySaregama on 18 May 1981. The lyrics were written byJaved Akhtar,Hasan Kamal,Mirabai,Nida Fazli,Rajendra Krishan, andHarivansh Rai Bachchan, and the 15th-century poet-saintMirabai.[4]
The film marked the debut ofJaved Akhtar as a lyricist, following his work as a screenwriter in theSalim–Javed duo. His first written song for the film, "Dekha Ek Khwab," was selected afterYash Chopra heard his poetry and was impressed by its lyrical quality.[12]
The soundtrack includes several notable tracks, including "Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum," which was later performed byLata Mangeshkar in her live concertLata Live.[13] Another standout track, "Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali," sung byAmitabh Bachchan and penned by Harivansh Rai Bachchan, became widely associated with theHoli festival and remains one of the most played Holi songs in popular culture.[14]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Silsila Theme" (Part 1, Instrumental) | 2:12 | ||
| 2. | "Silsila Theme" (Part 2, Instrumental) | Shivkumar Sharma | 3:40 | |
| 3. | "Silsila Theme" (Part 3, Instrumental) | Hariprasad Chaurasia | 3:31 | |
| 4. | "Neela Aasman So Gaya" (Male) | Javed Akhtar | Amitabh Bachchan | 4:34 |
| 5. | "Dekha Ek Khwab" (with Dialogue) | Javed Akhtar | Kishore Kumar,Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan | 5:55 |
| 6. | "Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum" (with Dialog) | Javed Akhtar | Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan | 7:39 |
| 7. | "Ladki Hain Ya Shola" | Rajendra Krishan | Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar | 3:58 |
| 8. | "Neela Aasman So Gaya" (Female) | Javed Akhtar | Lata Mangeshkar | 5:28 |
| 9. | "Dekha Ek Khwab" (Part 1) | Javed Akhtar | Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar | 1:26 |
| 10. | "Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum" | Javed Akhtar | Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan | 7:54 |
| 11. | "Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali" | Harivansh Rai Bachchan | Amitabh Bachchan | 6:06 |
| 12. | "Dekha Ek Khwab" (Part 2) | Javed Akhtar | Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar | 5:20 |
| 13. | "Sar Se Sarke" | Hasan Kamal | Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar | 5:41 |
| 14. | "Jo Tum Todo Piya" | Mirabai | Lata Mangeshkar | 3:35 |
| 15. | "Khud Se Jo Vada Kiya Tha" | Nida Fazli | Pamela Chopra | 4:06 |
| 16. | "Bahan Jinah Di Pakdiye" | Ragi Harbans Singh Jagadhri Wale | 2:23 | |
| Total length: | 73:38 | |||
Silsila was released theatrically on 14 August 1981. Despite the high-profile cast and media attention surrounding its production, the filmunderperformed 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 atMumbai’sMetro Cinema, generating ₹1.5 million in ticket sales, of which ₹1 million was donated to theNargis Dutt Foundation.[9]
Upon release,Silsila received mixed-to-negative reviews. Sunil Sethi ofIndia 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."[17]
Film scholarRachel Dwyer noted thatAmitabh Bachchan's portrayal of a romantic lead inSilsila was at odds with his established image as the "angry young man" from earlier films such asDeewaar (1975), making his role less convincing to audiences at the time.[9]
Despite its initial reception, Chopra later namedSilsila as one of his personal favorites in a 2011 interview.[18]
| Award | Date of the ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filmfare Awards | 1982 | Best Actor | Amitabh Bachchan | Nominated | [19] |
| Best Actress | Jaya Bachchan | Nominated | |||
| Best Music Director | Shiv–Hari | Nominated |
ThoughSilsila 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.[20] 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 ofYash Chopra’s most discussed and debated works.[21][22]
The casting ofAmitabh Bachchan,Jaya Bachchan, andRekha—amidst ongoing speculation about their real-life relationships—generated substantial media attention during production and release.[23] Film scholarRachel 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.[7] Chopra later reflected that convincing all three actors to participate was one of his greatest achievements.[5]
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.[24][25] Rekha’s portrayal of Chandni is also widely regarded as one of her definitive screen roles, praised for its grace and introspective intensity.[26]
Silsila has featured prominently in retrospective lists of Chopra’s most important films, including those byThe Indian Express,NDTV, andFilm Companion, who cited its romantic imagery, musical richness, and narrative ambition.[21][22][27]The Times of India included the film in a feature titled “34 Lessons Learnt fromSilsila,” commending its layered treatment of love, fidelity, and emotional sacrifice.[28]
The music, composed byShiv–Hari with lyrics byJaved 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 aHoli anthem.[14] Akhtar, who wrote his first song for this film, later creditedSilsila with launching his career as a lyricist.[12]
Over the years, the film has been the subject of critical reappraisals and anniversary screenings, including a special theatrical presentation onValentine's Day in 2025.[29] While it marked a commercial setback for Chopra at the time, he consistently referred toSilsila as one of his personal favourites.[18]