'Amitabh Bachchan wanted to bring a friend to a screening, that friend was Rekha,' says Vidhu Vinod Chopra: 'He was angry because of the argument earlier'

Amitabh Bachchan and Vidhu Vinod Chopra had worked together in 'Eklavya: The Royal Guard'. However, they had met first time much before that in 1977. It was on the sets of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's film 'Alaap'. The film starred Bachchan opposite Rekha. Chopra was on the sets of the film to show Bachchan his first ever film. He had a private screening of the film. Recalling his first meeting with the actor, the film-maker had shared details in an interview a while ago. The 'Parineeta' director had said in an old interview with News18, "I told everyone that I had booked the screening place until 5 p.m., and the film could be watched only then. Now, Amitabh, Hrishi da, and Rekha are all busy working, and I notice there’s some argument happening." The young filmmaker soon began to worry that the plan wouldn’t work out. He added, "Around 4, I started to feel that he wouldn’t get the time to watch my film. A little while later, I left. I was sitting outside, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Amitabh Bachchan. He asked, ‘You have the booking till 5? Let’s go.’”Before heading in, Bachchan had one request. Chopra revealed, “He asked if he could bring a friend along with him, and the friend was Rekha. He was angry because of the argument earlier, and we all got into the famous trailer.”Interestingly, Bachchan was so impressed after the screening that he immediately expressed his desire to collaborate with Chopra. But fate had other plans. At the same time, Doordarshan offered Chopra Rs 5,000 for a project, complete with a chauffeur-driven car. The aspiring filmmaker didn’t hesitate. “I grabbed the opportunity to drop the Sholay actor’s proposal,” he admitted.