Amitabh Bachchan’s choice to refrain from collaborating with Dimple Kapadia and Reena Roy at the height of his career was influenced by various personal and professional factors.
Dimple Kapadia: Dimple Kapadia expressed her regret over declining the role opposite Amitabh in Manmohan Desai’s Mard (1985), acknowledging in a Filmfare interview that it was “bloody stupid” of her — she “couldn’t agree on what [she] should be paid” and instead chose to commit to Pataal Bhairavi, a decision she later deemed a mistake.
Her refusals and subsequent disputes were motivated by financial concerns and timing, rather than personal animosity.
Reena Roy: Although she starred alongside Amitabh in films such as Naseeb and Andhaa Kanoon, they were never depicted as a romantic couple on screen. Reena herself remarked that Bollywood did not cast her in a romantic role with the superstar. A report suggested that Amitabh may have been “intimidated by Reena Roy’s commanding screen presence” or perhaps due to his competition with Shatrughan Sinha (Reena’s partner).
Reena Roy frequently appeared with Shatrughan Sinha, both in their professional endeavors and because of their widely discussed off-screen relationship. Numerous films featuring them together achieved commercial success.
During the height of Amitabh’s career (1975–1985), he was commonly paired with actresses such as Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman, Rekha, Jaya Bhaduri, and Hema Malini—actresses who were either already established as successful on-screen partners with him or complemented his screen presence. At the same time, Reena Roy was collaborating with Jeetendra, Shatrughan Sinha, and Rajesh Khanna, forming her own successful partnerships.
It was not a matter of personal animosity, but rather professional factors—screen balance, industry politics, and star dynamics—that prevented them from being cast in romantic roles together.
Also Read: Rekha Considered Herself Married to Amitabh: Umrao Jaan Director’s Shocking Revelation
