Nostalgia......yesteryear Actresses Options

[noorie]

The second occaasion was when seeing my interest in singing my father who hailed from the same Punjab province as Mohammed Rafi wanted to take me to the legendary singer so I could learn something from the Master.
But that was the time when I was steeped in inferiority complex and had no self-confidence at all. I didn't go. Mahendra Kapoor was fated to occupy the slot of the student I guess.

Oh, you missed a chance of a lifetime! If it had been me I would never have forgiven myself. Never, never, never!

Noorie

[nasir]

The second occaasion was when seeing my interest in singing my father who hailed from the same Punjab province as Mohammed Rafi wanted to take me to the legendary singer so I could learn something from the Master.
But that was the time when I was steeped in inferiority complex and had no self-confidence at all. I didn't go. Mahendra Kapoor was fated to occupy the slot of the student I guess.

Oh, you missed a chance of a lifetime! If it had been me I would never have forgiven myself. Never, never, never!

Noorie

I have learnt to forgive myself but sometimes I do feel ke CHAABUK LE KAR KHUD KI KHAAL UDHEr DOO.N.....

[nasir]

kumkum acted in many big films..mainly in second leads...she is really underrated in terms of popularity..i think she also did some bhojpuri films too..

Kumkum's persona was loveable. She looked like a star without the usual dazzle. Though she was beautiful it appears that makeup persons did not do justice to her. Yes, she looked like a real girl living next door.
She did roles in both A and B grade movies. I loved her role in Dilip Starrer, KOHINOOR, as well as in Mehboob Khan's MOTHER INDIA, SON OF INDIA; in BASANT BAHAR, Guru Dutt's PYAASA, KALI TOPI LAL RUMAAL and other movies.

When I was in Saudi Arabia in Khobar City in the Eighties, I was told that Kumkum was residing in that very city. However, the Saudi's laws being very strict, I could not hazard even a visit.

[Reeth]

kumkum acted in many big films..mainly in second leads...she is really underrated in terms of popularity..i think she also did some bhojpuri films too..

Yes jassi .....she was bubbly and had a great screen presence.........some of her songs on screen
are a treat to watch besides being extremely popular ....
My own personal favourites are...
Daga daga vai vai ----Kali topi laal rumaal
Khubsoorat hasina with Kishore kumar
Chedo na meri zulfein again with Kishore kumar
Dekha baabu ched ka mazaa --- Shararat
Yeh hawa yeh nadi ka kinara with Rajendra kumar ----Ghar sansar
Yeh vaada karen jahan bhi rahe with Dharmendra -----Dil bhi tera hum bhi tere
Yaaron ka pyar liye nakhre hazzar liye with Agha -----Kaali topi laal rumaal

And the two dance sequences in 'Kohinoor' with Dilip Kumar......Madhuban mein radhika and
Jaadughar khatil....

[jassi]

i liked her in ramanand sagar's aankhen,lalkaar and geet

[maheshks]

i must say that biography by mohandeep or whatever his name on meena kumari was just crap..
it was havin no sence..

After having read the link, the contents thereof are just ordinary knowledge of the people who have lived through the era of Meena Kumari. There's nothing new there. I have accordingly responded there with my own comments.

It's true that in a televised interview Dharmendra did not utter the name of Meena Kumari even once while he was talking about other heroines of his. My impression was that maybe it was because of his deference for her. At the same time it was annoying too because we wanted to know the real story about the alleged relationship which was again a very common knowledge.

Regarding the observation that Meena Kumari was in love with her husband throughout her life seems to be doubtful. On the contrary it appears that she was not pleased with him. Though the said article mentions that Meena Kumari died within weeks of the release of Pakeeza, it does not mention the fact it was precisely because of her untimely death that PAKEEZA became a superhit movie. Thousand of people followed the bier of Meena Kumari and she was finally laid to rest in a Qabrastan at the Mazagaon area which was the locality I was staying at that time. After that the cinegoers and fans rushed to the Maratha Mandir Cinema to see the movie in memory of the legendary Meena Kumari.

You are correct here when you say that she was not pleased with him.
It was well known in the film circle that both Kamal Amrohi and
K Asif were big womanisers. The lyricist Nida Fazli has written this about Kamal Amrohi:

Bilqees (his fourth wife) had originally come to him as an aspiring
actress. In some of her features, she resembled Meena Kumari no
doubt, but it was her voice that was absolutely identical to that of
Meena Kumari. So, instead of entering the film industry, she ended
up entering his house. At the time, she was the same age as Kamaal
Saheb's daughter.

Kamaal Saheb's lifestyle was quite royal and ostentatious. Even
in Bombay's hurly-burly ways, he would still go around at the same
leisurely pace as he used to do in the days of yore. In his sprawling studio
"kamaalistaan", his own private "court" seemed to have been modelled
on the Taj Mahal. His private mehfils were held there only. ***


Kamaal Saheb loved beauty in all its aspects. He might have grown
old as his career progressed, but his eyes never permitted him to
lose sight of this obsession with beauty. It was this eternal youth
in his eyes that made him marry Meena Kumari and, later, Bilqees.
And the same sense of youth made him write such beautiful dialogues.
He was in the habit of enjoying an hour-long nap after lunch. He
followed this practice invariably without fail. And he would want to
see a beautiful face on waking up. This youthful beauty would change
from day to day. He used to explain it thus : "Seeing the same face
over and over again every day leads to a dimunition in the attraction
possessed by that person and, secondly, it even affects the visual
acuity of the beholder. Even God doesn't appreciate 'changelessness'
and that is why we see the world in a new light every day".

You may also like to read this...

http://rajendranigam.blogspot.com/

This post has been edited by maheshks: Apr 3 2008, 09:26 PM

[noorie]

It was well known in the film circle that both Kamal Amrohi and
K Asif were big womanisers. The lyricist Nida Fazli has written this about Kamal Amrohi:

Kamaal Saheb loved beauty in all its aspects. He might have grown
old as his career progressed, but his eyes never permitted him to
lose sight of this obsession with beauty. And he would want to
see a beautiful face on waking up.

This youthful beauty would change
from day to day.

He used to explain it thus : "Seeing the same face
over and over again every day leads to a dimunition in the attraction
possessed by that person and, secondly, it even affects the visual
acuity of the beholder. Even God doesn't appreciate 'changelessness'
and that is why we see the world in a new light every day".

Absolutely appalling, assuming it’s all true.

Noorie

[nasir]

It was well known in the film circle that both Kamal Amrohi and
K Asif were big womanisers. The lyricist Nida Fazli has written this about Kamal Amrohi:

Kamaal Saheb loved beauty in all its aspects. He might have grown
old as his career progressed, but his eyes never permitted him to
lose sight of this obsession with beauty. And he would want to
see a beautiful face on waking up.

This youthful beauty would change
from day to day.

He used to explain it thus : "Seeing the same face
over and over again every day leads to a dimunition in the attraction
possessed by that person and, secondly, it even affects the visual
acuity of the beholder. Even God doesn't appreciate 'changelessness'
and that is why we see the world in a new light every day".

Absolutely appalling, assuming it’s all true.

Noorie

Excellent information on Kamal Amrohi. Interesting as well. Thank you so much Mahesh Bhai.
That's how Kamal was.. just 'Kamaal.' No wonder then that he had the screen sizzling with JALTA HAI BADAN....in Raziya Sultan.

Regarding the rough Quranic allusion by Kamal Amrohi cited in his own favour, it reminds me of a saying: Even the Devil can cite the Scriptures. How apt!

This post has been edited by nasir: Apr 4 2008, 02:35 AM

[maheshks]

veena sapru,if she was wife of actor sapru and mother of punjabi film actress preeti sapru...well i recently watched pakeezah and razia sultana..she was grt..
she was given some fine lines in both films...i loved the way she called ashok kumar..shahabudin..aao apni abrooiyat ka tamasha dekho(something like this)

and in razia sultana,when her son slapped her..she replied main tumhari gunhegar hoon ke maine aisi aulad ko janam diya(i cant recall the dialogue,but she was grt)...

Hemavati Sapru was her mother. She was Maharashtrian from Konkan area.
Prithviraj Kapoor had first cast her in his play Deewar opposite son Raj Kapoor.
Hemavati later worked with Raj Kapoor in Jail Yatra, Dev Anand in Mohan,
Rehman in Veena and Mubarak in Renuka. She then married actor Sapru
and retired from films. She died in Mumbai on 10 April, 2005.
Saprus leave behind five children—Reema, Tej, Preeti, Raj and Aryaman.

This post has been edited by maheshks: Apr 5 2008, 01:17 AM

[maheshks]

YOUNG GIRLS

VEENA AND SURAIYA IN PHOOL (1945)



This post has been edited by maheshks: Apr 5 2008, 12:57 AM

[jassi]

mahesh ji u must visit here regularly..and plz do post such more pics..i will be very happty..thanks for telling us abt hemavati sapru

[jassi]

Raj Kapoor was a prankster: Kamini Kaushal
By Subhash K Jha

At 80, Kamini Kaushal is delightfully agile, alert sprightly and, yes girlish. Age indeed sits lightly on this veteran who started her career with Neecha Nagar in 1947.

Kamini Kausal still continues to be seen on screen, the latest being the sitcom Shanno Ki Shaadi. 'What exactly do you have in mind?' she asked playfully when I call for an interview, and proceeds to pour her art out.

80, my God!
It's fun at 80…Gone through three generations, and still at it. Of course things have changed. They always do. How can it ever be the same?

When at the beginning of the century my father went to Cambridge it took him three months to reach England. He had to go by boat. There was no communication with my mother except the sporadic letter.

And now when my son is working in London we're in touch constantly. He can hop down to Mumbai by the next flight. This is what change is all about.

I remember when as a child in Lahore I saw a truck, the wheel of was the size of my entire body. It was so scary.

You've been witness to so many changes in the film industry.
Yeah….look at them! Most of my colleagues are gone. There's no Nargis, Suraiya Nutan, Meena Kumari, Raj Kapoor …you name them they're all gone. Yes, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand are there.

And Manoj Kumar whose mother you played in the maximum number of films.
That was during my third innings. I've had a very unpredictable sort of career. I've done what I wanted to do. Got married and left the industry when it was required, returned when it was okay. When I wanted to work, I did.

When I was needed elsewhere I didn't. Cinema was never my be-all end-all. When I worked I did so with complete integrity. But work didn't come above my family.

For me, living a decent life is enough. Yes I was passionate about acting. But not for the sake of making money. I like being creative. I love making toys as much as acting.

So the family was always your priority?
You know, I've brought up five kids. My son are abroad. My two daughters—who are actually my sister's daughters whom I inherited, they don't know any other mother but me—are with me.

I don't believe in living for myself and having a gala time. Hence the breaks from acting. That's okay. I'm not sorry. I had other priorities like children to be brought up. I continued to be creative from home. I designed so many toys, and won prizes.

Toy-making is as as fulifilling as films,except that people don't get to see your face.I don't crave to see my face splashed everywhere. I once saw one of colleagues literally adoring her reflection in the mirror. It was scary.

I didn't want want that to happen to me. The temptation to become self-obsessive is very high in the entertainment business. Don't get so sucked into stardom that you forget you're human.

You started your career in 1947…
Actually I was very reluctant to accept Neecha Nagar. I wasn't longing to pursue a career in films. I used to do theatre and a lot of radio at that time. The director Chetan Anand was well- known to our family.

He chased my like crazy to accept Neecha Nagar. We were all new. Pandit Ravi Shankar did the music. I was lucky to be part of something so pathbreaking, although I wasn't planning a film a career.

It was a songless experimental film.And yet I got quite a few offers. But I didn't know any of these people at all. I had hardly seen five Hindi films at that time.

Some of your biggest hits as a leading lady were with Dilip Kumar.
Nadiya Ke Paar was cute, like a little poem. Dilip and I got along very well. I shared an easygoing relationship with Raj Kapoor also. He was a prankster. We all had a whole lot of fun.

We were all pals, young and uninhibited. …We had fun. Then I took a break to have a baby. When I had my second baby I was supposed to one of my most important films Godaan.

I told my director I won't be able to play such a dramatic role in that condition. To my surprise the director said he'd make the film after the my baby was born. I insisted he take someone else.

But my director said he needed an actress who could fit the bill for the golden-hearted but sharp protagonist Dhaniya.

Your most acclaimed role was Biraj Bahu
Yes, my only film with Bimal Roy. I was lucky to get it. When Bimalda asked me to do it, I didn't even sign a contract. His signing me was enough.

My co-star Abhi Bhattacharya insisted I sign formal papers. But I was adamant. My contract was signed only much later for tax purposes.

What a fulfilling and intense experience Biraj Bahu was. Many times he'd take a shot without rehearsals. That's how much faith he had in me.

You've played Manoj Kumar's mother in the maximum number of films.
That was wonderful too! The first film where I played his mother was Shaheed. He was towering over me when he came to offer me the role. I asked him if I look like his mother. I insisted on playing his mother without graying my hair.It was a challenge to play the mother with black hair.

Are you impressed by the work being done today?
Yes and no. Technically our films have really progressed. But the content is suffering. I'd like to see more content. But I'm sure youngsters feel differently. They aren't aware of my films at all.

To them it doesn't matter whether actors from my era existed. Today's generation knows so much. I grew up with a natural curiosity. Today's generation have to grow up fast to face the competition.

Are you in touch with colleagues?
When you're working together there's plenty of interaction. Some people maintain a permanent bonding beyond work. But I live in South Mumbai and the entire industry lives in Juhu and Andheri.

To go to the other end of the city to meet friends isn't possible.So I spend my free time swimming. I must do some exercize.

Swimming at 80?
Why? What's wrong with it. Either I do yoga or swim. I don't have any vices.

Are you working these days?
I get lots television offers. But the grueling hours don't suit me. I did a serial Shanno Ki Shaadi. They were very considerate. I made a wonderful friend in Divya Dutta.

Unfortunately she won't be in Mumbai for a get-together that we're having for my birthday on 6 January. Another good friend Waheeda Rehman is also out of town. I'll miss them

Raj Kapoor was a prankster: Kamini Kaushal
By Subhash K Jha

At 80, Kamini Kaushal is delightfully agile, alert sprightly and, yes girlish. Age indeed sits lightly on this veteran who started her career with Neecha Nagar in 1947.

Kamini Kausal still continues to be seen on screen, the latest being the sitcom Shanno Ki Shaadi. 'What exactly do you have in mind?' she asked playfully when I call for an interview, and proceeds to pour her art out.

80, my God!
It's fun at 80…Gone through three generations, and still at it. Of course things have changed. They always do. How can it ever be the same?

When at the beginning of the century my father went to Cambridge it took him three months to reach England. He had to go by boat. There was no communication with my mother except the sporadic letter.

And now when my son is working in London we're in touch constantly. He can hop down to Mumbai by the next flight. This is what change is all about.

I remember when as a child in Lahore I saw a truck, the wheel of was the size of my entire body. It was so scary.

You've been witness to so many changes in the film industry.
Yeah….look at them! Most of my colleagues are gone. There's no Nargis, Suraiya Nutan, Meena Kumari, Raj Kapoor …you name them they're all gone. Yes, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand are there.

And Manoj Kumar whose mother you played in the maximum number of films.
That was during my third innings. I've had a very unpredictable sort of career. I've done what I wanted to do. Got married and left the industry when it was required, returned when it was okay. When I wanted to work, I did.

When I was needed elsewhere I didn't. Cinema was never my be-all end-all. When I worked I did so with complete integrity. But work didn't come above my family.

For me, living a decent life is enough. Yes I was passionate about acting. But not for the sake of making money. I like being creative. I love making toys as much as acting.

So the family was always your priority?
You know, I've brought up five kids. My son are abroad. My two daughters—who are actually my sister's daughters whom I inherited, they don't know any other mother but me—are with me.

I don't believe in living for myself and having a gala time. Hence the breaks from acting. That's okay. I'm not sorry. I had other priorities like children to be brought up. I continued to be creative from home. I designed so many toys, and won prizes.

Toy-making is as as fulifilling as films,except that people don't get to see your face.I don't crave to see my face splashed everywhere. I once saw one of colleagues literally adoring her reflection in the mirror. It was scary.

I didn't want want that to happen to me. The temptation to become self-obsessive is very high in the entertainment business. Don't get so sucked into stardom that you forget you're human.

You started your career in 1947…
Actually I was very reluctant to accept Neecha Nagar. I wasn't longing to pursue a career in films. I used to do theatre and a lot of radio at that time. The director Chetan Anand was well- known to our family.

He chased my like crazy to accept Neecha Nagar. We were all new. Pandit Ravi Shankar did the music. I was lucky to be part of something so pathbreaking, although I wasn't planning a film a career.

It was a songless experimental film.And yet I got quite a few offers. But I didn't know any of these people at all. I had hardly seen five Hindi films at that time.

Some of your biggest hits as a leading lady were with Dilip Kumar.
Nadiya Ke Paar was cute, like a little poem. Dilip and I got along very well. I shared an easygoing relationship with Raj Kapoor also. He was a prankster. We all had a whole lot of fun.

We were all pals, young and uninhibited. …We had fun. Then I took a break to have a baby. When I had my second baby I was supposed to one of my most important films Godaan.

I told my director I won't be able to play such a dramatic role in that condition. To my surprise the director said he'd make the film after the my baby was born. I insisted he take someone else.

But my director said he needed an actress who could fit the bill for the golden-hearted but sharp protagonist Dhaniya.

Your most acclaimed role was Biraj Bahu
Yes, my only film with Bimal Roy. I was lucky to get it. When Bimalda asked me to do it, I didn't even sign a contract. His signing me was enough.

My co-star Abhi Bhattacharya insisted I sign formal papers. But I was adamant. My contract was signed only much later for tax purposes.

What a fulfilling and intense experience Biraj Bahu was. Many times he'd take a shot without rehearsals. That's how much faith he had in me.

You've played Manoj Kumar's mother in the maximum number of films.
That was wonderful too! The first film where I played his mother was Shaheed. He was towering over me when he came to offer me the role. I asked him if I look like his mother. I insisted on playing his mother without graying my hair.It was a challenge to play the mother with black hair.

Are you impressed by the work being done today?
Yes and no. Technically our films have really progressed. But the content is suffering. I'd like to see more content. But I'm sure youngsters feel differently. They aren't aware of my films at all.

To them it doesn't matter whether actors from my era existed. Today's generation knows so much. I grew up with a natural curiosity. Today's generation have to grow up fast to face the competition.

Are you in touch with colleagues?
When you're working together there's plenty of interaction. Some people maintain a permanent bonding beyond work. But I live in South Mumbai and the entire industry lives in Juhu and Andheri.

To go to the other end of the city to meet friends isn't possible.So I spend my free time swimming. I must do some exercize.

Swimming at 80?
Why? What's wrong with it. Either I do yoga or swim. I don't have any vices.

Are you working these days?
I get lots television offers. But the grueling hours don't suit me. I did a serial Shanno Ki Shaadi. They were very considerate. I made a wonderful friend in Divya Dutta.

Unfortunately she won't be in Mumbai for a get-together that we're having for my birthday on 6 January. Another good friend Waheeda Rehman is also out of town. I'll miss them

Raj Kapoor was a prankster: Kamini Kaushal
By Subhash K Jha

At 80, Kamini Kaushal is delightfully agile, alert sprightly and, yes girlish. Age indeed sits lightly on this veteran who started her career with Neecha Nagar in 1947.

Kamini Kausal still continues to be seen on screen, the latest being the sitcom Shanno Ki Shaadi. 'What exactly do you have in mind?' she asked playfully when I call for an interview, and proceeds to pour her art out.

80, my God!
It's fun at 80…Gone through three generations, and still at it. Of course things have changed. They always do. How can it ever be the same?

When at the beginning of the century my father went to Cambridge it took him three months to reach England. He had to go by boat. There was no communication with my mother except the sporadic letter.

And now when my son is working in London we're in touch constantly. He can hop down to Mumbai by the next flight. This is what change is all about.

I remember when as a child in Lahore I saw a truck, the wheel of was the size of my entire body. It was so scary.

You've been witness to so many changes in the film industry.
Yeah….look at them! Most of my colleagues are gone. There's no Nargis, Suraiya Nutan, Meena Kumari, Raj Kapoor …you name them they're all gone. Yes, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand are there.

And Manoj Kumar whose mother you played in the maximum number of films.
That was during my third innings. I've had a very unpredictable sort of career. I've done what I wanted to do. Got married and left the industry when it was required, returned when it was okay. When I wanted to work, I did.

When I was needed elsewhere I didn't. Cinema was never my be-all end-all. When I worked I did so with complete integrity. But work didn't come above my family.

For me, living a decent life is enough. Yes I was passionate about acting. But not for the sake of making money. I like being creative. I love making toys as much as acting.

So the family was always your priority?
You know, I've brought up five kids. My son are abroad. My two daughters—who are actually my sister's daughters whom I inherited, they don't know any other mother but me—are with me.

I don't believe in living for myself and having a gala time. Hence the breaks from acting. That's okay. I'm not sorry. I had other priorities like children to be brought up. I continued to be creative from home. I designed so many toys, and won prizes.

Toy-making is as as fulifilling as films,except that people don't get to see your face.I don't crave to see my face splashed everywhere. I once saw one of colleagues literally adoring her reflection in the mirror. It was scary.

I didn't want want that to happen to me. The temptation to become self-obsessive is very high in the entertainment business. Don't get so sucked into stardom that you forget you're human.

You started your career in 1947…
Actually I was very reluctant to accept Neecha Nagar. I wasn't longing to pursue a career in films. I used to do theatre and a lot of radio at that time. The director Chetan Anand was well- known to our family.

He chased my like crazy to accept Neecha Nagar. We were all new. Pandit Ravi Shankar did the music. I was lucky to be part of something so pathbreaking, although I wasn't planning a film a career.

It was a songless experimental film.And yet I got quite a few offers. But I didn't know any of these people at all. I had hardly seen five Hindi films at that time.

Some of your biggest hits as a leading lady were with Dilip Kumar.
Nadiya Ke Paar was cute, like a little poem. Dilip and I got along very well. I shared an easygoing relationship with Raj Kapoor also. He was a prankster. We all had a whole lot of fun.

We were all pals, young and uninhibited. …We had fun. Then I took a break to have a baby. When I had my second baby I was supposed to one of my most important films Godaan.

I told my director I won't be able to play such a dramatic role in that condition. To my surprise the director said he'd make the film after the my baby was born. I insisted he take someone else.

But my director said he needed an actress who could fit the bill for the golden-hearted but sharp protagonist Dhaniya.

Your most acclaimed role was Biraj Bahu
Yes, my only film with Bimal Roy. I was lucky to get it. When Bimalda asked me to do it, I didn't even sign a contract. His signing me was enough.

My co-star Abhi Bhattacharya insisted I sign formal papers. But I was adamant. My contract was signed only much later for tax purposes.

What a fulfilling and intense experience Biraj Bahu was. Many times he'd take a shot without rehearsals. That's how much faith he had in me.

You've played Manoj Kumar's mother in the maximum number of films.
That was wonderful too! The first film where I played his mother was Shaheed. He was towering over me when he came to offer me the role. I asked him if I look like his mother. I insisted on playing his mother without graying my hair.It was a challenge to play the mother with black hair.

Are you impressed by the work being done today?
Yes and no. Technically our films have really progressed. But the content is suffering. I'd like to see more content. But I'm sure youngsters feel differently. They aren't aware of my films at all.

To them it doesn't matter whether actors from my era existed. Today's generation knows so much. I grew up with a natural curiosity. Today's generation have to grow up fast to face the competition.

Are you in touch with colleagues?
When you're working together there's plenty of interaction. Some people maintain a permanent bonding beyond work. But I live in South Mumbai and the entire industry lives in Juhu and Andheri.

To go to the other end of the city to meet friends isn't possible.So I spend my free time swimming. I must do some exercize.

Swimming at 80?
Why? What's wrong with it. Either I do yoga or swim. I don't have any vices.

Are you working these days?
I get lots television offers. But the grueling hours don't suit me. I did a serial Shanno Ki Shaadi. They were very considerate. I made a wonderful friend in Divya Dutta.

Unfortunately she won't be in Mumbai for a get-together that we're having for my birthday on 6 January. Another good friend Waheeda Rehman is also out of town. I'll miss them

[Reeth]

The second occaasion was when seeing my interest in singing my father who hailed from the same Punjab province as Mohammed Rafi wanted to take me to the legendary singer so I could learn something from the Master.
But that was the time when I was steeped in inferiority complex and had no self-confidence at all. I didn't go. Mahendra Kapoor was fated to occupy the slot of the student I guess.

Oh, you missed a chance of a lifetime! If it had been me I would never have forgiven myself. Never, never, never!

Noorie

Thanks nasir, noorie for all your inputs........these kind of posts are what make a thread interseting...

kumkum acted in many big films..mainly in second leads...she is really underrated in terms of popularity..i think she also did some bhojpuri films too..

Kumkum's persona was loveable. She looked like a star without the usual dazzle. Though she was beautiful it appears that makeup persons did not do justice to her. Yes, she looked like a real girl living next door.
She did roles in both A and B grade movies. I loved her role in Dilip Starrer, KOHINOOR, as well as in Mehboob Khan's MOTHER INDIA, SON OF INDIA; in BASANT BAHAR, Guru Dutt's PYAASA, KALI TOPI LAL RUMAAL and other movies.

When I was in Saudi Arabia in Khobar City in the Eighties, I was told that Kumkum was residing in that very city. However, the Saudi's laws being very strict, I could not hazard even a visit.

i liked her in ramanand sagar's aankhen,lalkaar and geet

Does Kum kum still live in Saudi Arabia......i hunted aound to get some personal news about her
but there is very little known about her....
Thanks a lot nasir,Jassi..........

[Reeth]

i must say that biography by mohandeep or whatever his name on meena kumari was just crap..
it was havin no sence..

After having read the link, the contents thereof are just ordinary knowledge of the people who have lived through the era of Meena Kumari. There's nothing new there. I have accordingly responded there with my own comments.

It's true that in a televised interview Dharmendra did not utter the name of Meena Kumari even once while he was talking about other heroines of his. My impression was that maybe it was because of his deference for her. At the same time it was annoying too because we wanted to know the real story about the alleged relationship which was again a very common knowledge.

Regarding the observation that Meena Kumari was in love with her husband throughout her life seems to be doubtful. On the contrary it appears that she was not pleased with him. Though the said article mentions that Meena Kumari died within weeks of the release of Pakeeza, it does not mention the fact it was precisely because of her untimely death that PAKEEZA became a superhit movie. Thousand of people followed the bier of Meena Kumari and she was finally laid to rest in a Qabrastan at the Mazagaon area which was the locality I was staying at that time. After that the cinegoers and fans rushed to the Maratha Mandir Cinema to see the movie in memory of the legendary Meena Kumari.

You are correct here when you say that she was not pleased with him.
It was well known in the film circle that both Kamal Amrohi and
K Asif were big womanisers. The lyricist Nida Fazli has written this about Kamal Amrohi:

Bilqees (his fourth wife) had originally come to him as an aspiring
actress. In some of her features, she resembled Meena Kumari no
doubt, but it was her voice that was absolutely identical to that of
Meena Kumari. So, instead of entering the film industry, she ended
up entering his house. At the time, she was the same age as Kamaal
Saheb's daughter.

Kamaal Saheb's lifestyle was quite royal and ostentatious. Even
in Bombay's hurly-burly ways, he would still go around at the same
leisurely pace as he used to do in the days of yore. In his sprawling studio
"kamaalistaan", his own private "court" seemed to have been modelled
on the Taj Mahal. His private mehfils were held there only. ***


Kamaal Saheb loved beauty in all its aspects. He might have grown
old as his career progressed, but his eyes never permitted him to
lose sight of this obsession with beauty. It was this eternal youth
in his eyes that made him marry Meena Kumari and, later, Bilqees.
And the same sense of youth made him write such beautiful dialogues.
He was in the habit of enjoying an hour-long nap after lunch. He
followed this practice invariably without fail. And he would want to
see a beautiful face on waking up. This youthful beauty would change
from day to day. He used to explain it thus : "Seeing the same face
over and over again every day leads to a dimunition in the attraction
possessed by that person and, secondly, it even affects the visual
acuity of the beholder. Even God doesn't appreciate 'changelessness'
and that is why we see the world in a new light every day".

You may also like to read this...

http://rajendranigam.blogspot.com/

veena sapru,if she was wife of actor sapru and mother of punjabi film actress preeti sapru...well i recently watched pakeezah and razia sultana..she was grt..
she was given some fine lines in both films...i loved the way she called ashok kumar..shahabudin..aao apni abrooiyat ka tamasha dekho(something like this)

and in razia sultana,when her son slapped her..she replied main tumhari gunhegar hoon ke maine aisi aulad ko janam diya(i cant recall the dialogue,but she was grt)...

Hemavati Sapru was her mother. She was Maharashtrian from Konkan area.
Prithviraj Kapoor had first cast her in his play Deewar opposite son Raj Kapoor.
Hemavati later worked with Raj Kapoor in Jail Yatra, Dev Anand in Mohan,
Rehman in Veena and Mubarak in Renuka. She then married actor Sapru
and retired from films. She died in Mumbai on 10 April, 2005.
Saprus leave behind five children—Reema, Tej, Preeti, Raj and Aryaman.

YOUNG GIRLS

VEENA AND SURAIYA IN PHOOL (1945)

Thanks a lot for all the information you have provided mahesh...it is always a pleasure to read your
posts.....



This post has been edited by Reeth: Apr 5 2008, 02:10 PM

[Reeth]

Parveen Babi - 4 April 1949 - 20 January 2005


Parveen Babi is perhaps the prettiest actress to have ever appeared in Bollywood cinema. She undeniably lit up and overpowered the screen with her presence.......

Parveen Babi, is one of the most popular actresses of the 1970s and 1980s, she is an unforgettable icon in Bollywood's history.Parveen was considered to be one of the most successful Bollywood actresses in the 1970s and was known for her portrayal of strong women who did not care about the conventional norms of society. She was the first Indian actress to have featured on TIME magazine's cover, in 1975....

She was born in Junagadh and did her early schooling in Aurangabad and later attended St. Xavier's College, Ahmedabad. Her father Vali Mohammed Babi, a Gujarati Muslim, was an administrator with the Nawab of Junagadh......She was an only child.....

The very definition of the seventies Bohemian cool, Junagad-born Parveen Babi was studying in
Ahmedabad university when B R Ishara discovered her in a chance meeting. Ishara, who was keen to cast a new girl opposite ex-cricketer Salim Durrani, chose Parveen for his Charitra (1973), a bold follow-up to his Chetna. Charitra bombed but the tall, bright-eyed Parveen stood out. Her second release, the Kishore Sahu-directed Dhuen Ki Lakeer (1974), also flopped, but a song from the film, Teri jheel si gehri aankhon mein, lingered in public memory, as did Parveen's beaming countenance......








Despite having no success to her credit, a chubby-cheeked Parveen, who looked younger than her age, found instant acceptance and surprised everyone by being snapped up for nine more films. B R Chopra's taut thriller, 36 Ghante (1974), didn't last for much longer in the theatres; but the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer, Majboor (1974), where Parveen had a conventional arm-candy role and sported elaborate hairdos and outfits, finally furnished a hit for the actress......

But it was Parveen's small but crucial role in Yash Chopra's Deewar (1975), that was largely responsible for formulating her image as the sleek, chic, Western woman...

With Deewar, Parveen defied Hindi films' norms and played a heroine who not only flaunted her drink openly but also indulged in premarital sex with her lover, Amitabh. Parveen's understated performance brought her big notices. Her sophisticated demeanour and cool nonchalance proved a further double whammy. The poignancy that reverberated when her dream of wearing the sindoor ended in a blood-soaked wedding sari made her death one of cinema's most memorable scenes....

After Deewar, Parveen's biggie with Dev Anand, Bullet, misfired. The actress also fired blanks in a trio of insignificant roles with Randhir Kapoor (Bhanwar, Mama Bhanja, Mazdoor Zindabad) and a dud called Rangeela Rattan opposite Rishi Kapoor.

But Parveen had no reason to fret. A gold mine, Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), awaited her. AAA was essentially an Amitabh show, but Parveen had the best role among the heroines. Also, the fact that she was paired opposite superstar Amitabh contributed significantly to her halo...









She was often compared with her contemporary Zeenat Aman due to their common image of being sex-symbols. In fact, she acted alongside Zeenat Aman in Mahaan (1983) and Ashanti (1981)
Her career was booming and she was singled out for the rare distinction of being featured on the cover of Time magazine. But Parveen, who was part of the hip Juhu (northwest Mumbai) crowd, was always one to respond to her heart. At one stage, she even placed her career on the backburner and took off with bearded boyfriend Kabir Bedi, who was to play the title role in an Italian television serial, Sandokan. Fortunately, Parveen returned in the nick of time to pick up the threads of her career with renewed fervour....

In films like Deewar (1975), Shaan (1980) and Namak Halaal (1982) her screen presence may have been minimal (the films largely working around the hero) but Babi brought a certain attractive aloofness to the roles and songs she appeared in. In Manoj Kumar's big hit Kranti (1981), she stole scenes with her supporting role from Hema Malini, the heroine of the film.....

Babi also acted in offbeat films like Vinod Pandey's Yeh Nazdeekiyan (1982)....

In the era of multistarrers she snapped up a mixed bag of roles in ensemble fares. She was Vinod Khanna's neglected wife and a mother in B R Chopra's The Burning Train (1980), Amitabh's beauteous leading lady in Ramesh Sippy's star-studded follow-up to Sholay, Shaan (1980), and had an interesting cameo in Manoj Kumar's Kranti (1981). She was also Amitabh's love interest in Do Aur Do Paanch (1980) and Kaalia (1981).

Parveen reached the pinnacle of her popularity at the turn of the new decade with a couple of interestingly dark-shaded roles in Meri Awaaz Suno (1981) and Namak Halal (1982). Her unapologetic turn as the gangster's moll dancing to Kanwarlal in Meri Awaaz Suno revived memories of Deewar. Next, she dazzled audiences with her two cabaret numbers, Raat baaki and Jawani jaaneman, in the blockbuster, Namak Halal.

Convincingly essaying the role of a seductress who, under duress (her mother is held captive), baits Shashi Kapoor into a death trap, she exuded unlimited oomph. Compliments flowed in even from the most unexpected quarters. A serious actress like Deepti Naval expressed the desire to do arole a la Parveen Babi in Namak Halal.

No more could Parveen's detractors regard her as the poor man's Zeenat. Nor was she a bonsai star who grew in Amitabh's shadow. Now she was a star-actress in her own right....






In 1983, after a prolonged effort to extend her oeuvre by working with middle-of-the-road directors like Vinod Pande (Yeh Nazdeekiyan with Marc Zuber), Esmayel Shroff (Dil Aakhir Dil Hai with Naseeruddin Shah) and Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Rang Birangee opposite Amol Palekar) came to naught, Parveen, the emotional gypsy, mysteriously flew off again, this time to the US.....

Here she became associated with the spiritual philosopher U. G. Krishnamurti. She returned to Mumbai in 1992 where she was unrecognizable as her former self after having put on a considerable amount of weight. She accused many foreign dignitaries and her former co-star, Amitabh Bachchan, of conspiring to kill her but her petition in court was dismissed for lack of evidence. She also filed an affidavit in the special court hearing the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, claiming that she had evidence to show, but she did not turn up in court after being summoned saying that she was afraid of being killed....







It is speculated that Parveen Babi suffered from schizophrenia and had become a recluse. It also probable that she was not schizophrenic but had a persecution complex and withdrew from society and films. However, she managed to maintain her posh penthouse apartment in Mumbai and live affluently from sound financial investments. She was diabetic for most of her life. Parveen did not marry but shared intimate relationships with married men: director Mahesh Bhatt, actors Kabir Bedi, and Danny Denzongpa. Parveen was also rumoured to have a relationship with her co-star Amitabh Bachchan.

She had a tragic end......She was found dead from the complications of her untreated diabetes. When she was found dead, one of her feet had gangrene on it. Parveen most possibly died in her sleep of complications as foul play and suicide were ruled out.....She was buried next to her mother at Santa Cruz, in Mumbai on January 23, after her funeral was held according to Islamic rites......

Landmark Films


Majboor
Deewar
Kala Sona
Amar Akbar Anthony
Suhaag
Kranti
Kaalia
Namak Halaal
Meri awaz suno
Khuddar
Rang Birangi
Shaan
Yeh nazdeekiyan
Sitamgar


Parveen's name will always be synonymous with that certain Bollywood sexiness every hot young actress aspires to capture.....

This post has been edited by Reeth: Apr 5 2008, 03:07 PM