- Shabana Azmi, Atithe, India, 1978. PB agreed to Leela in what was then called Anupam. She took some time making sure her availabilty coincided with that of co-star Shashi Kapoor – and then disappeared to Europe tol be with her guy, Kabir Bedi. Enter: Azmi. Impeccable, as ever.
- Reena Roy, Jwalamukhi, India, 1980. PB was playing Anju when she had an schizophrenic attack, fled the set and locked herself in her dressingroom. Director Prakash Mehra thought of Ranjeet Kaur as a replacement but PB’s co-star, Shatrughan Sinha, suggested his then lover, Reena Roy. (She had been in the Jwalamukhi that was was started and abandoned in 1976). In the early 80s, PB and Roy were second highest paid Hindi divas. PB’s “incident” was inevitably featured in Woh Lamhe, 2006, the third Bollywood film based on the love affair of PB and director Mahesh Bhatt. And her habit of throwing her underwear at Bhatt at parties. Here it was her panties; in reality it was her “uncomfortable” bra.
- Reena Roy, Naseeb (Destiny and Fate), India, 1980. For his biggest (and, thereby, most costly) movie, producer-director Manhohan Desai planned to re-unite the line-up of his triumphant 1977 Amar Akbar Anthony: Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Parveen Babi, Neetu Singh and Yusuf Khan. However, Babi had accepted another gig,… Khanna joined his spiritual guru, Rajneesh, in Oregon for five years… and Singh had an even better excuse – she was marrying Rishi Kapoor – for 40 years! So, not quite a sequel, but another mighty Masala monster hit!
- Rekha, Â Silsila, India, 1981. In the original line-up opposite Amitabh Bachchan until the Bollywood mega star changed both his co-stars for Jaya Bhaduri and Rekha.
- Zeenat Aman, Orphan, India, 1989. Or Lawaaris when begun by director Prakash Mehra as the umpteenth union of PB and Amitabh Bachchan (after Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony and Kaala Pathar, Suhaag, Do Aur Do Paanch, etc). But PB had fled India and Aman took her place. On her return, PB finally worked with Prakash Mehra – opposite Bachchan, of course – in Namak Halal. It was always said in Mumbai that she had her second breakdown after seeing the film Bhat made about their relationship: Arth, 1982. Parveen Wali Mohammad Khan Babi accidentally ODed on January 20, 2005.
Birth year: 1949Death year: 2005Other name: Casting Calls: 1