Not Hema Malini But This Actress Was Ramesh Sippy's First Choice For Seeta Aur Geeta
NDTV
Seeta Aur Geeta also featured Sanjeev Kumar and Dharmendra
Ramesh Sippy's 1972 film Seeta Aur Geeta was a Bollywood blockbuster. Be it the cast or dialogue, the film ticked all the boxes. But did you know Hema Malini wasn't his first choice for the film? We are not joking here. The director has revealed it himself. Ramesh Sippy also added that he wanted to cast Mumtaz as Seeta and Geeta. Speaking at The Invincibles Series with Arbaaz Khan Season 2, he said, “I had worked with her [Hema Malini] in Andaz and she was very much into it so you like people who want to be a part of the film. When we decided to make it, it felt like Mumtaz would probably be the right person at that time. She had too many commitments and I didn't want to wait.”
Ramesh Sippy added how the dynamic writer duo Salim-Javed (Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar) reacted when he suggested Hema Malini's name for the film. The filmmaker said that they were not convinced. “So, I asked Hema [Malini] and Salim-Javed asked me, ‘Are you sure? Does she have that in her personality to play Geeta because Seeta's role is still okay?'”
Seeta Aur Geeta also featured Sanjeev Kumar, Dharmendra, Manorama, Roopesh Kumar, Satyen Kappu, Honey Irani, and Pratima Devi. The story revolves around twin sisters who were separated at birth. Things take a turn for good after they unintentionally swap places.
