Sallumiya not much has been written about Veena and her family except what we already know from these columns and the info appearing on the net.

Talking of Veena's relatives, there was one, Shahzada who was a co-star in K.Asif's Suraiyya starrer, PHOOL (1944). This Shahzada is remembered now chiefly for being crazy about Suraiyya and stalking her. He used to park his car night and day outside her apartment. It was Jaddan Bai, mother of Nargis, who took him to Suraiyya's who personally requested him to leave her alone.

Hello sallumiya Thank you and welcome to HF.........

Thanks nasir,jassi ..........


Kamini kadam

She acted in some very popular films ...

Click to view attachment Click to view attachment

Some prominent Films

School Master
Sapan suhaane
Talaaq
Santaan
Maa baap
Miya biwi raazi


Kum Kum

Started her film career with a small role in Mirza ghalib and went on to act in nearly 60 films..
Many of them as a leading lady with Kishore kumar,Feroze khan .....

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Some of her prominent films

Mirza ghalib
Gawaiya
Kundan
Sipahsalar
Bindiya
Mem sahib
Crorepati
Funtoosh
CID
Ustad
Pyaasa
Ghar sansar
Son of India
Mr. X in Bombay
Burmah road
Kali topi laal rumaal
Ganga ki lehren
Shriman funtoosh
Ek sapera ek lautera
Aankhen
Geet
Dharti
Lalkaar
Dhamkee


Vijaya Choudhury

Another actress who acted in some popular films with good music score...

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Some popular films....


Diler daaku
Captain Kishore
Satta bazaar
Honey moon
Bada aadmi
Burmah road
Banarsi thug
Holiday in Bombay
Baaghi
Rustom e baghdad

thanks a lot nasir I really appreciate your reply. I feel sad that these actresses never got their due nor were they approached by filmakers of those times. I have found one vidoe of veena online frm the move shatranj ke khiladi here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmNo0gPi_Ao...feature=related by the way how do u know so much about these actresses.

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..

Simplefable, the truth is I have deliberately remained away from the glamourous world of Bollywood for one reason or another and the little interaction that I have had was purely accidental.

Much earlier in the undivided India, my father was offered a hero's role by no less than the famous Shahpoorji-Palanji (who later financed MUGHAL-E-AZAM). But he declined since even the big names then were paid some 250 to 500 rupees per month, while he had a huge steady income of his own. This was also the time when the movie actors and actress of the time used to visit him. But I don't remember much of what he had told me. But I do remember as I already disclosed this HF that he purchased a flat from Rehana at the Nana Chowk locality of Bombay. I specifically remember the name of Mumtaz Ali (father of Mehmood) who was a regular at his evening parties. If he had taken some interest in Bollywood, I'm sure I would have been there.

Even in later Fifties, we used to have some filmstars, notably Nargis, visiting us sometimes and playing with my kid brothers and sisters. Even then she used to do social service and I think was visiting some spastics school in the area. Our house was at Napean Sea Road locality of Bombay. That was during her MOTHER INDIA days. I still remember Sunil Dutt - a dashing and handsome man, using a black Fiat car then. I was a kid too and therefore don't remember much.

I remember three occasions when I lost my tryst with Bollywood:

When I had just finished my 7th, I was taken to some film director who had an office in the Dadar area of Bombay. I had been heavily influenced by PROFESSOR and had written down the entire screenplay and script just from memory after having watched this movie only once when it was running at the Alankar Cinema. So what happened was that I was given a bulky literature on film-making by this man (I don't remember his name). You can imagine how a kid like me was to understand all this camera angles, directorial tips and so on. I lost my courage and never followed up.

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.

The third occasion was when I after doing my matriculation applied in response to the United Producers talent hunt for a hero. Fate had Rajesh Khanna in mind. A shy person like me could never make it.

This is how willy-nilly I had some encounters with Bollywood. Then of course, when I was a martial arts instructor, I did have film personalities as my students.

But, as a whole, I have deliberately avoided to get in touch with any film personality.

Life went on. And, when I came across HF on the net, I felt that I could pass on some my experiences to the forum which experiences would have never seen the light of the day otherwise.

Hope I didn't bore you guys.

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.....

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.

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....

Click to view attachment

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

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/

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!

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)

Click to view attachment

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

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

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







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..........

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

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......


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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...


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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....

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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....

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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.....

i m quite sure reeth that parveen was not born in 1949..i guess she might have born in 1955...or 1954...but not in 1949...she played rekha's younger sister in suhag..so she must be younger than rekha..
well let me share few things abt her

she was supposed to do kabhi kabhie,but was later replaced by neetu singh

she was offered naseeb and jawalamukhi,but by that time she left her bana banaya career and moved to abroad for kabir bedi..but she returned back after some time and her career was again goin grt way..well finally those two films naseeb and jawalamukhi went to reena roy
similerly zeenat was signed for laawaris..
she started shooting for silsila,but finally rekha was signed..(till the date i could not understand why they changed the whole cast..just to get amitabh,jaya n rekha in the picture)

Reeth, Kumkum has settled down in Saudi Arabia and leading a happy married life. That's what I was told by a singer friend of mine who had the opportunity to attend some private function at her husband's in Khobar.

Jassi i got the details from wikipedia....{Parveen Babi (Hindi: परवीन बाबी, Urdu: پروین بابی) (April 4, 1949 - January 20, 2005) was an Indian actress.} and all other sources mention the same date....

Good to hear that nasir....

i m not surprised by such source..but its not right..i m sure her birth year cant be 1949...in fact according to such sources amrita singh was born in 1957..but i just dont believe it..as her birth year is 1965..

You could be right jassi, i too feel that parveen looked a lot younger than Rekha...but there is no way of knowing the exact date of birth
BTW who is Amrita Singh??

how come u dont know her..she was one of the top actress of 80s..she made her debut in 1983 with betaab oppocite sunny deol..

Yes i do know now,who she is Jassi ....She was married to Saif Ali khan....
I remember having seen her in some film with Jackie shroff ....not sure which one?//

I liked Amrita Singh in CHAMELI KI SHAADI a comedy film opposite Anil Kapoor. This movie I consider among the best of her movies. Among others, she acted opposite Amitabh Bachchan in MARD. She had a tender role opposite Dharmendra too and this movie was based on the real-life kidnapping of a child of a kashmiri minister. Amrita Singh is the daughter of Rukhsana Sultana. Does this name ring a bell?

we will discuss abt amrita later plz..its too early to discuss abt her..lets finish 70s actresses first

It does....She was a socialite/friend of Sanjay Gandhi, active in youth Congress in the seventies. .....
I have seen Amrita Singh in a couple of movies and other than the fact that she is bubbly, i didnt
particularly find her impressive, but that is true of almost all the later year stars ........Say, the ones after
Reena roy, Dimple or even Neetu Singh.....






Jassi madame you are the one who brought in Amrita Singh.....

Smitha Patil - 17 October 1955 - 13 December 1986


Perhaps the word that describes Smita best is 'intense'. It is this blowtorch intensity which brands her
forever into the minds of those who see her best films -- albeit even years later on DVD.
She had that rare blend of inner strength overlaid with outer frail femininity. One never predominated
the other. Her dusky, aboriginal beauty helped her tremendously as an actress; but finally it was her
ability to emotionally penetrate her characters that marked Smita as one of the best actresses Hindi
cinema has ever known.......

Today, when any feminine character forges her own identity in Hindi cinema, it seems to reverberate
with some echo from Smita's haul of strong-woman performances. And you wonder how the actress
would have interpreted the role.

Today, 20 years after she passed away due to complications from child birth on December 13, 1986,
Smita Patil remains strikingly relevant.

Born to idealistic parents, Smita grew up wanting to make a difference. Conventionality was not her
long suit. While still graduating from college she took on the job as newsreader on Mumbai television.
Even then, she would pay heed to the rules but give them her own spin. Smita would wear jeans to
the studio, but just before a telecast, wrap a saree over her upper body.

Smita won attention even on television. She was dusky but Indian society was emerging from its
stereotypes. Commercial cinema sultan Manoj Kumar says he saw her on TV and predicted that 'this
girl would be a very major actress one day.'

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Drawn to the visual arts, Smita made her debut in Shyam Benegal's childrens' film, Charandas Chor
in 1974. Fortunately for Smita, she entered films at a time when there was a struggle brewing against
the shackles of commercial cinema. And Smita found she fitted right into the new idiom espoused by a
select few.

After Shyam Benegal had tested her with a supporting role in Nishant (1975), he cast her in the lead
in Manthan where Smita seemed to merge right into her character of a rustic woman. But her
tour de force came with Benegal's next film, Bhumika (1977), in which she portrayed a
troubled actress. She won the National Award and the film established the arrival of a formidable talent.

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Smita actively supported the art film movement. She was willing to act in unconventional regional films
too and the result was some fine cinema like Jait Re Jait in Marathi and Bhavni Bhavai in Gujarati.

But while Smita had her own following among filmmakers, she felt hurt that certain art film directors
did not cast her because she didn't have the reach that came with commercial films, something Smita
had thus far stubbornly refused to do. So after remaining faithful to art cinema for seven long years,
Smita went about creating a name for herself in Bollywood.

For years, mainstream superstars like Amitabh and Vinod Khanna had been lavish in their praise for
Smita. Powerful scriptwriters Salim-Javed had tried to get her to act in their films. Smita finally
relented in the early 80s and was flooded with films. Namak Halal and Shakti (both 1982) were
opposite Amitabh Bachchan (she was part of the original cast of Silsila too) and these films
immediately put Smita in the A-list.

But Smita was sadly indiscriminate in her choice of films -- and the 80s was when Hindi cinema was
churning out a lot of dross. Smita's work in many of these films was erratic, but true to her nature --
each performance was from her heart.

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Shabana and Smita were sisters under the skin who felt the same way about a lot of things, but there
was an undercurrent of sibling rivalry, heightened by the constant comparisons made between the two.

Smita's first feature film Nishant itself pitted her against her senior Shabana. In the art film world
they became direct competitors. After two films with Shabana, Benegal made two with Smita in the
lead. In this either-or situation, friction was obvious. Smita won her second National Award before
Shabana; then Shabana won three in a row...

In their films together, Mandi and especially Arth, it was presumed that Shabana had won the round.
In his bid to exorcise his personal demons Arth director Mahesh Bhatt told the story from the wife's
point of view, but Smita's performance too came in for its share of praise. However, Shabana and
Smita never worked together again.....

Smita personal beliefs were reflected in the movies she chose. She played strong but all-too-human
women who make tough life choices in a variety of movies like Umbartha (and its Hindi version Subah), Ardh Satya, Aaj Ki Awaaz, Akhir Kyon and especially the wonderful Mirch Masala, in which she stands up to male tyranny with a handful of well-directed red pepper powder....


Her marriage to the already-married Raj Babbar made many fans question her actions. Yet she
remained well-liked.....

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Awards

* Filmfare Best Actress Award for Chakra in 1981.
* National Film Award - Best Actress for Chakra in 1981.
* National Film Award - Best Actress for Bhumika in 1978.

Smita also won the Filmfare Best Actress Award twice for Marathi films Zait Re Zait & Umbartha

Major Films

Nishant
Bhumika
Manthan
Bhavani bhavai
Aakrosh
Chakra
Aedh Satya
Bazaar
Mandi
Arth
Namak Halal
Shakti
Aakhir kyon?
Ghulami
Waris
Mirch Masala


Bollywood also admired her grit -- for taking part in a film industry morcha and walking in the sun
when she was eight months pregnant.

But all too soon, tragedy struck this actress' life. The industry was hosting a grand event called
Hope 86 in December, 1986; the fateful night became a vigil for some when news filtered in
that Smita was fighting for her life in a hospital due to complications after childbirth....

Smita passed away that night, but her work continues to live on.....

but i was just giving an example..coming to smita
i heard she was supposed to do manoj kumar's shor(she even did not made her debut at that time,i guess it was just rumour)
she was supposed to do umrao jaan,but was said to be thrown out coz rekha was havin more star status...(i guess it was after this incident she started working in mainstream films,and i must say some of her mainstream choices were too bad)..
later she was also thrown out of silsila and jaya bacchan was signed..

when these things were happening,she said in an interview...i kept refusing commercial films,so that i can work in art films..but when i was thrown out of some artistic films,i thought what i got,if they wanted name..i will make name..so she started working in commercial films..in fact after that song aaj rapat jaye...she was crying,may be she was not comfortable in something like this

i also heard there used to be 36 ka ankada between shabana and smita..i mentioned an incident earlier too

That angle was exploited very well in ARTH - a beautiful movie of 1983 - by Mahesh Bhatt.
The last I had heard was that Shabana has taken up Prateik (Smita's son) under her wings and arranging a two year stint abroad for acting school and paving for a way to launch him.

Nasir sahab, what I am going to say is absolutely irrelevant to the topic generally discussed on this thread, and I hope Reeth will excuse my forwardness ( totally unlike me ) because this is kind of important to me.

A few pages back I thought I heard you mention that you were fortunate to have a thorough grounding in law; if that’s true, would be so kind as to give me some advice, legal advice I mean. Free of course!
I am broke at the moment; you’ll have to wait for the next paycheck.

My question is posed in this imaginary scenario. A law-abiding civilian ( a very careful driver ) is making his way home to his family when out of the blue a vehicle streaks directly onto his path and life takes a long pause.
The civilian’s fighting for his life in a hospital, his car’s wrecked beyond operation; and it’s later discovered that all this destruction was plotted by an ugly monster of a DUI driver behind-the-wheel.
Those are the preliminary findings; charges are yet to be filed.

Who do you think is at fault, really? The law-abiding civilian or the drunk driver? I really would like to know. Like I said it’s very important to me.

Noorie

Thanks for your question Noorie, but let me make the opening clear: I never said I had thorough groundings in law. I have some experience – that’ all. Now, the another point that is to be made clear is that if one is a lawyer, it does not mean he or she will be thorough with all branches of law or subjects. (Same is the case with a doctor). You know what I mean of course.


After the above preliminaries, let’s come directly to your question:
Fault lies with the driver who strays from his path on to the path of the other vehicle.
Drunken driving is not allowed in today’s scenario. In this case, the driver alone should be responsible and not his master since drinking is not part of the employment. Otherwise master too is responsible vicariously.

An FIR has to be registered with the police station in whose jurisdiction the accident has taken place.

Claims can be filed with the Motor Accident Tribunal Court in the city. In Mumbai, it used to be somewhere near the Flora Fountain area before.

All other papers must be kept ready before filing the claim such as copy of the FIR, Hospital records and all the details of the injured or the deceased.

Under the Indian Penal Code, it is Section 304A which is applicable for causing death due to rash and negligent driving . However, if the death is culpable homicide not amounting to murder, the applicable section would be S.304 II, where the maximum prescribed sentence is ten years. (The judge can give even five or two as the case warrants).

The words you used are: “all this destruction was plotted by an ugly monster of a DUI driver behind-the-wheel.’. This is not clear. Do you mean to say there was a pre-meditated plot? Or are these words just figurative? Be that as it may, there is a need to legislate approprate quantum of punishments where it is proven that the accused knew that death would result. Currently, it appears that the quantum of punishment is inadequate.

I don't know Noorie whether I replied to your questions properly.

Nasir sahab, your worries are quite unfounded for you’ve given me all the answers that I had hoped for and more. I am truly very grateful and I won’t forget this favour as long as I live. That sounds a bit melodramatic I know, but that’s me - I must be living in the wrong era.

Even if you had painted your talent in the blackest possible light, it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference to me, because there was never a doubt in my mind that you’re a brilliant legal advisor, and I can see why.
You must have made quite a few powerful enemies in your time, have you?

I am glad we both agree that it’s entirely the fault of the drunk driver.
And as much as it hurts, the Truth cannot and shouldn’t be smothered; to be sure, this whole incident was premeditated and I have plentiful proof of it.

What would you say Nasir sahab, if you knew that despite the overwhelming evidence of his guilt, the culprit was let off / walked away scot-free?
Free!!!
Would you describe it as justice? Could you even begin to imagine the depth of the hurt / betrayal / outrage felt by his victim (s)?

The trouble with Faith is that its sphere of influence is limited to those who believe in a Higher Power.
The atheists and their ilk have nothing to fear, or so they think – and that’s not good for the world, in my view.
Of course I do believe in poetic justice, I’ve seen it happen, but the universe cannot always be trusted to do the needful. Sometimes what’s needed is a gentle shove in the right direction. This unpleasant responsibility for some reason in this particular case has been assigned to me, and even though I may not be around to see the ‘transformation’, there will be an improvement. I am very hopeful.

And yes your guess is partly right, this case serves as a useful metaphor to describe some recent very unfortunate happenings right here on this forum in which I was made an unwilling participant.

You can read all about it at the link here, if you’re interested.

Noorie