Ek, Do, Teen...
Bollywood's extra-marital affairs

Former lovers have a way of throwing a marriage in troubled waters. Yash Chopra's take on this is most vivid and insightful. In Silsila (inset), erstwhile sweethearts Amit (Amitabh Bachchan) and Chandni (Rekha), wedding bands notwithstanding, get together -- staying unapologetic and defiant about their liaison. In comparison their less charismatic spouses (Jaya Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar) sit at home twiddling their thumbs. Good for them that Chopra decides to give it a happy ending.

Though the film flopped, it continues to win appreciation for its deft dialogues, lilting score and inspiring performances. Of course, the entire real-to-reel alleged triangle of Amitabh-Jaya-Rekha continues to be a subject of curiosity for many.

In an earlier film, Chopra has the wife (Sharmila Tagore) playing the other woman despite being married (to Rajesh Khanna) thanks to a chain reaction of catastrophe including attempted rape, accident, a memory lapse, changed identity and new wife (Raakhee). Bold, twisted and unconventional, Daag clicked at the box office anyway.

Gulzar's Ijaazat looked at the special wavelength shared by Maya (Anuradha Patel) and Mahinder (Naseeruddin Shan). Maya's commitment phobia results in Mahinder marrying Sudha (Rekha). But this formality doesn't come in the way of their fondness for each other. What makes Ijaazat special is that it doesn't involve any bickering or showdowns. These are nice people caught in a not-so-nice situation. Maya respects Sudha and affectionately refers to her as Didi, whereas Sudha genuinely tries to understand and accept the deep level of her husband's friendship with his ex. And Mahinder's confusion and regret over the same is heartfelt. Winner of three Filmfare awards, Ijaazat's dignity comes from the dignified stance of its characters.

Also Read: Where SRK, Salman, Aamir stay

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