Directed by the esteemed Hrishikesh Mukherjee, ‘Mili’ was a treat for cinephiles as it was embellished by the nuanced performances of Jaya Bachchan and Amitabh Bachchan. Today, the movie completes 50 years, and on the occasion of its golden jubilee, Jaya Bachchan, during an exclusive conversation with us, reflected on her experiences during the making of ‘Mili’ and shared her insightful thoughts.Here are the excerpts from our conversation:“‘Mili’ is one of my favourite films with Hrishi Kaku. I had already decided to quit, and I thought Abhimaan would be my last film before marriage. But then Hrishi Kaku…” Jaya Bachchan laughed as she added, “It was an irresistible part.”As aforementioned, it’s been half a decade! To date, no one could imagine anyone but Jaya Bachchan doing ‘Mili,’ not even the actress herself. She confessed, “To be fair, I can’t imagine anyone else in that character.”
I think Amitji gave a better performance than I did in Mili – Jaya Bachchan
Having said that, according to Jaya Bachchan, she wasn’t the star performer in ‘Mili.’ In her opinion, it was her co-star and life partner, Amitabh Bachchan, who was exemplary in the movie. “I think our (Jaya and Amitabh’s) best films together were ‘Abhimaan’ and ‘Mili.’ I think Amitji gave a better performance than I did in Mili,” she said. “I consider it to be one of his best performances,” quoted Jaya Bachchan.Further, in the same conversation, recalling the fond memories of working with the legendary Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Jaya Bachchan continued, “Like all Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films, it was quick and very enjoyable. Hrishi Kaku came across as very laidback. But he knew exactly what he wanted from his cast and crew.” “And he wouldn’t rest easy until the shooting happened exactly his way,” concluded the actress.
