The female lead was originally intended to be a Maharashtrian woman, with Rekha being the prime candidate for the role. But things didn't work out and Parveen Babi was signed. With Babi's involvement, the female lead character was changed to a Christian woman. Ali also signed his elder brother Mehmood for a small role in the film, for which Mehmood demanded and was paid his full market price. In contrast, Bachchan, the star of the movie settled for only a fraction of his normal price.