Babita | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Babita in 2003 | |
| Born | Babita Hari Shivdasani (1947-04-20)20 April 1947 (age 77) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1966–1973 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
| Family | Kapoor family |
Babita Shivdasani Kapoor (néeBabita Hari Shivdasani; born 20 April 1947),[2] also known mononymously asBabita,[2] is an Indian retired actress who appeared inHindi-language films.
The daughter of character actorHari Shivdasani and the cousin of actress and her contemporarySadhana Shivdasani, Babita's debut film was the successful dramaDus Lakh (1966), but it was the romantic thrillerRaaz (1967), oppositeRajesh Khanna, that gained her recognition. From 1966 to 1973, she starred in nineteen films as the lead heroine, including the box office successesFarz (1967),Haseena Maan Jayegi,Kismat (both in 1968),Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati (1969),Doli (1969),Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan? (1970),Kal Aaj Aur Kal (1971) andBanphool (1971). Following her marriage to actorRandhir Kapoor in 1971, she acted inJeet (1972) andEk Hasina Do Diwane (1972). Her subsequent release in 1973 was an average success, after which she decided to leave her career and became a housewife.[3]
Babita was born inKarachi to actorHari Shivdasani, who was from aSindhi Hindu family (settled in Bombay prior to and after thepartition of India) and a British Christian mother, Barbara.[1][4] The iconic actressSadhana Shivdasani was her paternal cousin and contemporary.[5]
Babita appeared in nineteen films. Her first film to release was the 1966 successful filmDus Lakh, which also starredSanjay Khan,Om Prakash and her future sister-in-law,Neetu Singh. However, the first film she had signed was actuallyRaaz co-starringRajesh Khanna, which was released in 1967. Her biggest box office successes wereDus Lakh,Ek Shrimaan Ek Shrimati andHaseena Maan Jayegi (1968), (with her future uncle-in-law)Shashi Kapoor,Farz,Banphool andEk Hasina Do Diwane withJeetendra,Doli with Rajesh Khanna,Tumse Achha Kaun Hai (1969) with her future uncle-in-lawShammi Kapoor,Kismat withBiswajeet,Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan? (1970) withDharmendra andPehchaan withManoj Kumar. In 1971, she acted opposite her future husbandRandhir Kapoor, as well as father-in-lawRaj Kapoor and grandfather-in-lawPrithviraj Kapoor inKal Aaj Aur Kal. After her marriage to Randhir, they were cast together by directorK. Shankar inJeet, which was the remake ofEn Annan, starringM. G. Ramachandran andJayalalithaa. She left the film industry in 1973 following her husband's family tradition of women not working in the acting profession.[6]
Babita fell in love withRandhir Kapoor, while working with him in the filmKal Aaj Aur Kal (1971). They married in a lavish ceremony on 6 November 1971.[7] They have two children, actressesKarisma Kapoor andKareena Kapoor Khan.[8][9][10]
In the 1980s, Randhir's career as an actor started to decline and things soured between them. She and Randhir lived in separate homes for several years, even though they are still legally married and had no intention of divorcing. The couple reunited in 2007 after living separately for several years.[7]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Dus Lakh | Rita | Debut film |
| 1967 | Raaz | Sapna | |
| Farz | Sunita | ||
| 1968 | Kismat | Roma | |
| Haseena Maan Jayegi | Archana (Archie) | ||
| Aulad | Bharti | ||
| 1969 | Tumse Achha Kaun Hai | Asha | |
| Ek Shrimaan Ek Shrimati | Deepali Lakhanpal | ||
| Doli | Asha | ||
| Anmol Moti | Manisha | ||
| Anjaana | Rachna Malhotra | ||
| 1970 | Kab? Kyoon? Aur Kahan? | Asha Prasad | |
| Pehchan | Barkha | ||
| 1971 | Kal Aaj Aur Kal | Monica (Mona) | Appeared withRandhir Kapoor in his debut film[11] |
| Bikhre Moti | Indrani | ||
| Banphool | Gulabi | ||
| 1972 | Jeet | Koyli / Rasili | |
| Ek Hasina Do Diwane | Neeta | ||
| 1973 | Sone Ke Haath | Prema |
She was born Babita Hari Shivdasani on 20 April, 1947, to a British-born mother Barbara and an Indian actor father, Hari Shivdasani, who belonged to a prominent Bombay-based Sindhi family.
