Directed by Ramesh Sippy, the 1972 film Seeta Aur Geeta starred Hema Malini in a dual role of identical twins. Dharmendra and Sanjeev Kumar were the leading heroes paired opposite Seeta and Geeta. The film was a major commercial success and Hema Malini even won her sole Filmfare Award for Best Actress for the movie.
In a recent interview, Ramesh Sippy has revealed that he wanted to cast Mumtaz in the film, but since she was busy with multiple films, he went with Hema, who had starred as the leading lady in his first directorial Andaz in 1971. He also added Salim-Javed, who had written Seeta Aur Geeta, were not sure if Hema would be able to pull off the two diverse roles.
Talking to Arbaaz Khan on his chat show The Invincibles on Bollywood Bubble, the veteran filmmaker said, "I had worked with Hema 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 the right person at that time. She had too many commitments and I didn’t want to wait. So, I asked Hema 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?'". Ultimately, the director convinced the writers.
After Seeta Aur Geeta's success, Ramesh Sippy and Hema Malini collaborated again in Sholay, which is often called as the greatest Indian movie ever made. The 1975 release also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Dharmendra, Amjad Khan, and Sanjeev Kumar in the leading roles.
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