Amol Palekar Recalls How He Was Recast In His First Film: 'Was Called Arrogant'

Veteran actor Amol Palekar, who has worked in films like 'Chhoti Si Baat', 'Rajnigandha', 'Chitchor' among many others, was offered the lead role in Basu Chatterjee's 1972 film Piya Ka Ghar which starred Jaya Bachchan. Amol, in a recent interview, recalled that Basu Chatterjee brought the film to him and he agreed to be a part of it, but he was soon replaced as Basu found him "arrogant”.

He recalled, "After a few conversations, Basu da asked me to go and meet Tarachand Barjatya. I asked why. He said Rajshri is producing so you should go and meet him. I said, ‘No, I won't go.’ He was surprised and asked why. I said the simple reason is that if you have selected me for a role, if you have faith in me so you must take me and introduce me to him in a dignified way, introduce me properly to him", reports Indian Express.

Amol Palekar said that he did not want to go and stand in a queue to meet the producer for a film where the director had already approved of him. "(I said) I won't go there and stand in a queue. He was quite taken aback. He said you haven't even started your career yet and you have so much arrogance. I said, 'That's how I am,’" he recalled. “Obviously, it didn't work out and Anil Dhawan was cast in Piya Ka Ghar," he shared.

But, this did not sour their relationship as Basu Chatterjee then approached Amol Palekar for Rajnigandha, Chhoti Si Baat and Chitchor, which were all silver-jubilee hits. Chitchor was produced by Rajshri Productions.