Not Sridevi But This Actress Was The First Choice For Yash Chopra’s Lamhe

Filmmaker Yash Chopra’s 1991 film Lamhe is fondly etched in the memory of movie buffs. The romance drama featured Anil Kapoor and Sridevi in lead roles. But do you know that Sridevi was not the first choice for the film? According to a report by News18, when Yash Chopra was searching for a female lead, he wanted to cast Rekha. The filmmaker made the decision after the success of his 1981 film Silsila featuring Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha and Jaya Bachchan. However, after working with Sridevi in Chandni, the legendary director changed his mind. The rest as they say is history. The project was shot in two parts in Rajasthan and London. 

Lamhe also featured Deepak Malhotra, Waheeda Rehman, Anupam Kher and Ila Arun in key roles.  It was produced under the banner of Yash Raj Films and bagged 5 Filmfare and a National Award. The movie revolves around Viren (Anil Kapoor) who falls in love with Pallavi (Sridevi). His love isn’t reciprocated and Pallavi marries Siddharth (Deepak Malhotra). The couple die in an unfortunate incident, leaving behind a daughter who bears an uncanny resemblance to her mother. When the daughter grows up, she falls in love with Viren. Sridevi played the role of both the mother and the daughter. 

While Yash Chopra was filming Lamhe, many people advised him to alter the ending, reported News18. However, the filmmaker held his ground and refused to change the climax. Lamhe failed to impress the audience due to the complex and bold take on love. 

Meanwhile, Sridevi, known as the first female superstar of Bollywood, died in Dubai in 2018 where she was attending a family wedding. She is survived by her husband, producer-actor Boney Kapoor, and their daughters, Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor. Rekha, who was the first choice for Sridevi’s film Lamhe, shares a wonderful bond with the late actress’ daughter, Janhvi Kapoor. At the premiere of Janhvi’s latest film Ulajh, the veteran star kissed Janhvi’s poster and was even seen posing with her. Click here to read more about it.