Asha Parekh | |
|---|---|
 Parekh in 2022 | |
| Born | (1942-10-02)2 October 1942 (age 83) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1952–2008 |
| Works | Full list |
| Honours | Padma Shri (1992) Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2020) |
Asha Parekh (born 2 October 1942) is an Indian actress, film director and producer who has worked inmore than 85 films in a career that has spanned over 40 years.[1][2][3] In 1992, she was honoured with thePadma Shri by theGovernment of India for her contribution to the field of cinema and was honoured withDadasaheb Phalke Award in 2020.[4]
Parekh made her acting debut as a child inMaa (1952). As an adult, she appeared inDil Deke Dekho (1959) and starred in several films in the 1960s and 1970, includingJab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961),Bharosa (1963),Ziddi (1964),Mere Sanam (1965),Teesri Manzil (1966),Love in Tokyo (1966),Do Badan (1966),Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966),Upkar (1967),Kanyadaan (1968),Shikar (1968),Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke (1969),Sajan (1969),Chirag (1969),Kati Patang (1970),Aan Milo Sajna (1970),Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971),Caravan (1971),Samadhi (1972),Heera (1973),Udhar Ka Sindur (1976),Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) andKaalia (1981).
She won aFilmfare Award for Best Actress, and was honoured with theFilmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. Her autobiography,The Hit Girl, was published in 2017.[5]
Asha Parekh was born on 2 October 1942 inSanta Cruz, Mumbai.[6] Her mother, Sudha "Salma" Lakdawala, aBohri Muslim, and her father, Bachubhai Parekh, aGujarati Hindu, met while studying atFergusson College in Pune.[7][8][9][10] Lakdawala was afreedom fighter and participated inIndia's struggle for independence. She was briefly incarcerated for protesting against the British colonial rule while pregnant with Parekh.[11][12]
Growing up, Parekh wanted to be a doctor but changed her mind after witnessing a train accident. She was also interested in dance from a young age, and veteran actorPrem Nath, while visitingMukul Anand's family next door, was impressed by her abilities. He then askedKathak-dancer Mohanlal Pandey to train Parekh for an upcoming performance atSt. Xavier's College, Mumbai where directorBimal Roy first saw her. He would go on to cast Parekh as a child actor in the filmMaa (1952).[13]
Parekh started her career as a child actor at ten years old, appearing inMaa (1952) under the screen name Baby Asha Parekh.[1][14] She was also seen inAasman (1952),Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1953),Baap Beti (1954),Dhobi Doctor (1954),Ayodhyapati (1956),Aasha (1956) andUstaad (1956).[15][16] Parekh played a supporting role inJwala (1971) that began shooting in 1956 but experienced production delays due toMadhubala's prevailing sickness.[7] AfterBaap Beti was unsuccessful at the box office, Parekh decided to step away from acting and resumed her schooling.[17]
At sixteen, Parekh tried to dabble in acting again, but was rejected fromVijay Bhatt'sGoonj Uthi Shehnai (1959) in favour of actressAmeeta, because the filmmaker claimed she was not "star material".[15] Eight days later, producerSubodh Mukherjee and writer-directorNasir Hussain cast her inDil Deke Dekho (1959) oppositeShammi Kapoor. The film was the beginning of Parekh's long-standing association with Hussain, who went on to work with her in six more films:Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961),Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963),Teesri Manzil (1966),Baharon Ke Sapne (1967),Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), andCaravan (1971). Hussain was also the distributor of 21 of her films includingBaharon Ke Sapne (1967).[18][19] AfterDil Deke Dekho, she was cast inRamanand Sagar'sGhunghant (1960), an adaptation ofRabindranath Tagore'sNoukadubi. She also appeared inGharana (1961) featuringRajendra Kumar andRaaj Kumar, andChhaya (1961) alongsideSunil Dutt andNirupa Roy. The film, including the songHum Insaan Nahi byMohammad Rafi, received positive reviews from the critics.
She starred inZiddi (1964),Mere Sanam (1965),Love In Tokyo (1966),Aaye Din Bahaar Ke (1966) andUpkar (1967), all of which were successful at the box office.[19] She also worked with directorRaj Khosla onDo Badan (1966),Chirag (1969) for which she earned a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actress, andMain Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) for which she earned a nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In a BBC interview, Parekh said that untilDo Badan she was considered a "glamour girl" but her performance in the film established her as a "good actor."[19] She worked with directorShakti Samanta onPagla Kahin Ka (1970) andKati Patang (1970) for which she won her first and only Filmfare Award for Best Actress.[19] She also played a supporting role inUdhar Ka Sindur (1976) for which she was nominated a second time for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
During this time, Parekh also worked in threeGujarati films, includingAkhand Saubhagyavati (1963) andKulvadhu (1977). She also appeared in twoPunjabi films,Kankan De Ohle (1971) oppositeDharmendra andLambhardarni (1976) withDara Singh, as well as theKannada filmSharavegada Saradara (1989).[20] She starred inKaalia (1981), her only film oppositeAmitabh Bachchan and had a guest appearance in Hussain's 1984 filmManzil Manzil (1984).
AfterKaalia, Parekh pivoted to television and directed a Gujarati-language showJyoti (1988–1989). She started Akruti, the production company behindPalash ke Phool (1989–1990),Baaje Payal,Kora Kagaz (1998–2002) andDal Mein Kaala (1998–1999).[21]
From 1994 to 2000, Parekh was the president of the Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) which was headed by actorAmjad Khan. In 1991, Parekh, along withDilip Kumar,Sunil Dutt,Mithun Chakraborty and Amjad Khan, formed the Cine Artiste Welfare Trust to provide financial and medical assistance to deserving members of the Association. Parekh, Sunil Dutt,Amrish Puri,Chandrashekhar, andDara Singh were on the Board of Trustees of the Trust. In 2011, when Times of India columnist Bharathi Dubey wrote about the ailing Indian actor and freedom fighterA.K. Hangal, Parekh and directorVipul Shah came forward to support his medical expenses.[22][23]
Between 1998 and 2001, she became the first woman to be appointed as the chairperson of theCentral Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
Within days of assuming her position at CBFC, there was a controversy regardingDeepa Mehta'sFire (1996). The film released overseas in 1996, receiving critical acclaim at several international film festivals, and was released in India two years later. Protests were held outside the cinemas screening the film, with people claimingFire was "alien to Indian culture" and calling for a ban. In her memoir, Parekh said the film portrayed "the bold theme ofsame-gender love between two women" aesthetically and withoutsensationalism. "There was no reason to ban it at all or delete a kissing scene betweenShabana Azmi andNandita Das," she wrote, "Sanjivani Kutti (regional manager of CBFC) and I stuck to the collective decision, the censors would not recall the film for a second opinion."[10]
In 1998, Ronnie Mendonca, Mumbai's commissioner of police, requested Parekh to allow preemptive screening of films by theMaharashtra police before CBFC issues them a censor certificate.[24] Parekh agreed to the proposal, and askedMukesh andMahesh Bhatt'sZakhm (1998) to be cleared with senior police officers before cinematic release. CBFC believed this to be "a cautionary measure" assuming that the depiction of communal riots in the film might cause a public backlash. The director-duo was unhappy with the decision, with Mukesh saying the matter be discussed withL.K. Advani, the thenMinister of Home Affairs. Much back-and-forth ensued. The film was eventually released after minor cuts were imposed and "visuals indicating the party affiliations of the rioters were blurred."[10] In the same year, CBFC clearedBombay Boys (1998) for release after twenty audio and video cuts. Later, Mumbai Youth Association called for Parekh's resignation over the release of bothZakhm andBombay Boys.[25]
For Parekh,Shekhar Kapur'sElizabeth (1998) was the next "storm in a teacup."[10] After CBFC suggested a few cuts and certified the film as 'Adults Only,' Kapur challenged her to a public debate in an open letter published in The Times of India.[26] He insisted on a 'UA' certification for universal exhibition, and took the case toappellate tribunal; Justice Bhaktavar Lentin ruled in Kapur's favor.[10]
Parekh agreed with the members of censorship committee on deleting one of the songs featured inSaawan Kumar Tak'sMother (1999). The song,Biwi Hai Cheez Sajawat Ki (A wife is meant to be a decorative object) picturized onRekha, was deemed "offensive" and "insulting to women." The decision was supported by theCentral Government. According to Parekh, a disgruntled Tak "raised a hue and cry" against the censorship in media interviews.[10]
In the case ofChori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001), the Ministry requested Parekh to screen the film personally. The producer refused to make the print available, and a legal notice was left at his office door. Finally, a screening was arranged and several instances ofdouble entendre dialogue were deleted. It was widely reported that the film, starringPreity Zinta,Salman Khan andRani Mukerji, was financed by theMumbai underworld elements.The Central Bureau of Investigation seized several prints of the film, and a formal investigation was launched. Parekh believed that the charges did not fall within the purview of the CBFC, and the film was released after a few cuts.[10]
In her memoir, Parekh stated her aim as the CBFC chairperson was to only censor excessive vulgarity and violence, degradation of women, and use of non-essential abusive-language. "I had to strike a balance between carrying out the responsibilities as stated in the censorship guidelines and the filmmaker's right to freedom of expression," she said, "I was neither radical nor a dictator."[10]
In 2008, she was a judge on theChannel 9X reality showTyohaar Dhamaaka.[27] In 2017, her autobiography, co-written byKhalid Mohamed, titledThe Hit Girl was published by Om Books International.[28]
Parekh has never married. At an event in 2017, she said that for her, "a good marriage mattered more than just getting married," as she didn't want to "marry just for the sake of having that title."[29]
In her memoir, Parekh confirmed a relationship with directorNasir Hussain who was married to Ayesha Khan and had two children. She considers him to be the "only man she ever loved." She did not pursue marriage with Hussain because she did not want to be a "home breaker" and "traumatize his children."[30] Parekh mentioned there is no ill-will between her and Hussain's family; his children, Nusrat andImran, attended her book launch.[31] After Hussain's death in 2002, Parekh recalled that she had not been in touch with him during the last year of his life, as he had become reclusive, but she did speak to him before his demise.[32]
She almost married an Indian professor based in America, but he confessed to having a girlfriend, and the wedding plans fell through. Following her mother's advice, she exploredarranged marriage prospects, but didn't find the "right kind of man" and felt "put off by the whole premise of marriage."[29]
She is close with fellow-actorsNargis Rabadi,Helen,Waheeda Rehman, andSaira Banu.[33]
Parekh tried to adopt a child who "triggered a fervent maternal instinct" in her, but he was suffering from congenial defects, and the doctors refused. "They asked me to select another child, but my love for this child I didn't even know was unrelenting and I was adamant on adopting only him," she toldVerve Magazine. Her mother experienced a stroke soon after, and Parekh became occupied with caretaking. "I was very attached to [my mother] and the very notion of having another being to care for besides her then seemed inconceivable," she said.[29]
As of 2025, Parekh dedicates her time to her dance academyKara Bhavan. She established Bhikhubai Chandulal Jalundwala (BCJ) General Hospital and Asha Parekh Research Centre, also known as Asha Parekh Hospital, inSantacruz, Mumbai to honour her mother who died of cancer in September 1990. The 120-bed hospital was run by a Trust, and tended to 300 patients a day. It first closed in 2007 after the employees went on strike demanding a higher salary and reinstatement of five unfairly-dismissed staff members. In 2009, Suketu Shah, CEO of BCJ General Hospital announced that the hospital will reopen in March of that year.[34] The hospital was closed again in 2018 owing to financial losses. Confirming the news, Parekh said the Trust "entered a joint venture to redevelop the building for a new hospital."[35][36] In 2024,Shalby Hospitals, a multispecialty hospital franchise, acquired a thirty-year lease for running the BCJ General Hospital. The company announced that they are in the process of formalising a lease agreement with the Trust, and securing necessary permissions to construct a new 175-bedded facility.[37]
After her mother's death, Parekh sold herJuhu bungalow and moved to an apartment to take care of her ailing father who died a few months later. In aPress Trust of India interview, she admitted to struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts following the death of both her parents.[38]
Parekh is regarded as one of the most accomplished actors ofHindi cinema.[39] In 2022, she was placed inOutlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list.[40] One of the highest paid of late 1960s to early 1970s, Parekh appeared inBox Office India's "Top Actresses" list seven times, from 1966 to 1972 and topped the list twice (1967–1968).[41] In 2022, at53rd International Film Festival of India, a retrospective was organised in her honour, where three of her films were screened.[42] In her honour, Parekh's hand-print was unveiled atWalk of the Stars atBandra Bandstand.[43]
Farhana Farook ofFilmfare said that "she's undeniably distinct from her peers" and noted, "Asha Parekh has gone way beyond the paradigm of stardom and its engulfing halo. She's a woman of many shades and much substance."[44] Gautam Chintamani ofFirstpost termed Parekh as "one of the biggest film stars to grace the silver screen".[45]Outlook India noted, "Parekh was famed for her electrifying dance moves and the films that resulted from them."[46]The Statesman noted, "Parekh earned the epithet of Bollywood's "jubilee girl" with her string of hits in the Hindi film industry's golden era."[47] Arushi Jain ofThe Indian Express noted, "Parekh was associated with adjectives like effervescent, fashionista, cheerful, dancer and glamour girl. She struggled a lot to graduate from a conventional Bollywood heroine to one of the most sought after leading ladies of the 1960s with unconventional roles."[48]
Parekh received theFilmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.[49] She has continued to receive other Lifetime Achievement Awards: the Kalakar Award in 2004;[50] theInternational Indian Film Academy Awards in 2006;[51] the Pune International Film Festival Award in 2007;[52] and the Ninth Annual Bollywood Award inLong Island, New York in 2007.[53] She received the Living Legend Award from theFederation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).[54]
In 2016,Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, said that Parekh had approached him at his Mumbai residence, climbing 12 floors of steps, to recommend her name for thePadma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award. The claim was widely reported, however Parekh said she never lobbied for the award, and refused to say more on the matter. In her memoirThe Hit Girl published a year later, Parekh said that meeting the minister was the "worst mistake" of her life. She said she had been hurt by the minister's claim, and recounted a different version of the event. Parekh had been awarded thePadma Shri in 1992. A close friend had arranged a meeting with the minister and suggested her to seek an upgrade of the award.[55][56]
A chronological listing of awards and nominations is as follows:
t was in this city that my father, a Hindu Gujarati fell in love with my mother, a Bohri Muslim studying in Fergusson College
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