Why was Rekha almost replaced by Sridevi in Phool Bane Angaray?
Do you know that Rekha was almost ousted from the Bollywood movie, Phool Bane Angaray, also starring Rajinikanth? Dig inside to know why!
New Delhi: KC Bokadia's directorial, Phool Bane Angarey, starring Rekha in a power-packed role alongside Rajinikanth, Prem Chopra and Shafi Inamdar, is an iconic film of 1991. The movie is known for its strong female character and intense action sequences, based on the themes of revenge and justice.
Phool Bane Angarey revolves around Namrata, a brave and righteous woman who marries an honest police officer, Ranjit Singh. Soon, her happy married life is shattered when Ranjit is murdered by corrupt politicians and criminals. Devastated but determined, Namrata decides to avenge her husband's death and joins the police force to expose criminals. In the film's climax, she finally takes revenge for her husband's death.
Though the film was a moderate success at the box office, Rekha was praised for her strong female persona on-screen, especially in 1991. The movie also established her as one of Bollywood's strongest female leads. But did you know that Rekha was almost ousted from the movie and was replaced by Sridevi? Yes, you read that right! And the reason will shock you. Let's delve into further details!
Why was Rekha almost ousted from Phool Bane Angarey?
According to IMDb, director KC Bokadia wanted to replace Rekha with Sridevi after her husband died by suicide and reasoned by saying that the film's storyline was too close to her personal life. However, later, he changed the title of the movie from 'Bharat Ki Naari' to 'Phool Bane Angarey'.
When Rekha's husband died by suicide
For those who don't know, Rekha was married to Mukesh Agarwal, a Delhi-based industrialist, who tragically died by suicide in 1990, just a few months after their marriage. According to reports, he suffered from severe depression and financial troubles that impacted his and Rekha's relationship. Within a few months, their marriage became strained, and Rekha reportedly distanced herself.
Mukesh Agarwal, the late husband of Rekha, died by hanging himself using Rekha's dupatta and left behind a note which read, "Don't blame anyone." Despite this, Rekha was heavily criticised by the media and Mukesh's family, with some blaming her for his death. In fact, she was labelled as a "man-eater" and was even ostracised in Bollywood for a some time. Despite the criticism, she never spoke publicly about the controversy.
Other interesting facts about Phool Bane Angarey
Phool Bane Angarey was initially a two-hero film - Rajinikanth and Sunny Deol, who was offered to play the role of Rajinikanth's brother. The role was of an Army Commando Officer who joins Rekha to avenge his brother's death. However, Sunny Deol declined the role due to date issues. Director KC Bokadia then approached Mithun Chakraborty, who wanted some changes in the script, which Bokadia was not willing to make and hence declined the role. The filmmaker then decided to scrap the role from the movie.
Where to watch Phool Bane Angaray online?
If you haven't watch the 1991 movie, Phool Bane Angaray, or just want to revisit the movie starring Rajinikanth and Rekha, then it is available to watch on Zee5.