Asha Parekh


Asha Parekh is an Indian film actress, director, and producer who appeared in many commercially successful films throughout her career. She was the highest paid actress of her time and was one of the most successful actresses of the 1960s and 1970s. She is considered one of the most influential actresses of all time in Hindi cinema. In 1992, she was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India for her contribution to the field of cinema.

Early life

Asha Parekh is a Gujarati born on 2 October 1942. Her mother, Sudha aka Salma Parekh, was a Bohri Muslim and her father, Bachubhai Parekh, was Hindu Gujarati. Her mother enrolled her in Indian classical dance classes at an early age and she learned from many teachers, including Pandit Bansilal Bharati.

Career

Parekh started her career as a child artist under the screen name Baby Asha Parekh. Famed film director Bimal Roy saw her dance at a stage function and cast her at the age of ten in Maa and then repeated her in Baap Beti. The latter film's failure disappointed her, and even though she did a few more child roles, she quit to resume her schooling. At sixteen she decided to try acting again, and to make her debut as a heroine, but she was rejected from Vijay Bhatt's Goonj Uthi Shehnai in favour of actress Ameeta, because the filmmaker claimed she was not star material. Precisely eight days later, film producer Subodh Mukherjee and writer-director Nasir Hussain cast her as the heroine in Dil Deke Dekho, opposite Shammi Kapoor, which made her a huge star.
It also started a long association with Hussain who cast her as his heroine in six more films: Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, Teesri Manzil, Baharon Ke Sapne, Pyar Ka Mausam, and Caravan. She also did a cameo in Nasir Hussain's film Manzil Manzil with whom she had earlier done 6 films. Hussain also got her involved in distribution of 21 films, starting with Baharon Ke Sapne. Parekh was primarily known as a glamour girl/excellent dancer/tomboy in most of her films, until director Raj Khosla gave her a serious image by casting her in tragedienne roles in three of her favourite films; Do Badan, Chirag and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki. Director Shakti Samanta gave her more dramatic roles in her other favourite films, Pagla Kahin Ka and Kati Patang ; the latter earned her the Filmfare Best Actress Award.
Many important directors repeatedly cast her in several of their films, including Vijay Anand and Mohan Segal. Parekh acted in her mother tongue by starring in three Gujarati films at the height of her fame in Hindi films, the first being Akhand Saubhagyavati, which became a huge hit. She also acted in some Punjabi films, such as Kankan De Ohle opposite Dharmendra and Lambhardarni with Dara Singh, as well as the hit Kannada film Sharavegada Saradara.
After her days as a leading lady ended, Parekh took on supporting roles as bhabhi and mother, but she called this the "awkward phase" of her career. So she stopped acting in films, and her friends recommended that she become a television director. She took their advice and became a television director in the early 1990s with the Gujarati serial Jyoti. She formed a production company, Akruti, and produced serials like Palash ke Phool, Baaje Payal, Kora Kagaz and a comedy, Dal Mein Kaala. She was the president of the Cine Artistes' Association from 1994 to 2000. Parekh was the first female chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification of India. She held the post from 1998 to 2001 for which she received no salary, but plenty of controversy for censoring films and for not giving clearance to Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth. Later, she became the treasurer of the Cine and Television Artists Association and was later elected as one of its office-bearers.
Asha stopped acting in 1995 to pursue directing and producing television serials. Parekh received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. She has continued to receive other Lifetime Achievement Awards: the Kalakar Award in 2004; the International Indian Film Academy Awards in 2006; the Pune International Film Festival Award in 2007; and the Ninth Annual Bollywood Award in Long Island, New York in 2007. She received the Living Legend Award from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
In 2008, she was a judge on the reality show Tyohaar Dhamaaka on the Indian entertainment channel 9X. In 2017, her autobiography titled "The Hit Girl" was released.

Personal life

Parekh has remained unmarried, claiming that her reputation of being unapproachable made people hesitate in asking for her hand in marriage. In her memoir "The Hit Girl", she confirmed rumours that she was romantically involved with director Nasir Hussain who was already married, but out of respect for both their families, she couldn't marry him. Previously, Parekh would only state that she had a longtime boyfriend but declined to elaborate on the relationship, only stating that "it was nice while it lasted." She said she had not seen Nasir Hussain during the last year of his life, as he became reclusive because of his wife's death, but she did speak to him the day before he died in 2002. She almost married an Indian professor living in America, but he didn't want to give up his girlfriend, so she called off their wedding plans. She had also tried to adopt a child, but he had birth defects, and the doctors refused to let her adopt him.
Today, Parekh concentrates on her dance academy Kara Bhavan and the Asha Parekh Hospital in Santa Cruz, Mumbai, named in her honour because of her many humanitarian contributions..
Her couple with different Hindi-speaking actors namely Shammi Kapoor and Jeetendra is famous. These bollywood actors maintained friendships with Asha Parekh while shooting for 1960 Bollywood cinemas.

Filmography

Parekh has opened a hospital for those in need, called "Bcj Hospital And Asha Parekh Research Centre." She has stated that the hospital had been closed and reopened various times.

Awards and nominations

  1. Gujarat State Award for Best Actress for Akhand Saubhagyavati
  2. Filmfare Award Nomination as Best Actress for Chirag
  3. Filmfare Best Actress Award for Kati Patang
  4. Filmfare Award Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Udhar Ka Sindur
  5. Filmfare Award Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
  6. Padma Shri awarded in the Arts
  7. Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
  8. Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association felicitated Parekh for her outstanding contribution to the Indian film industry
  9. Kalakar Awards — Lifetime Achievement Award
  10. International Indian Film Academy Awards for outstanding achievement in Indian cinema
  11. Saptarang Ke Saptashee Award
  12. Gujarati Association of North America 's First International Gujarati Convention—Lifetime Achievement Award
  13. Pune International Film Festival—Lifetime Achievement Award
  14. Bollywood Award—Lifetime Achievement Award
  15. Living Legend Award from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
  16. Film Federation of India honoured Parekh at its Golden Jubilee celebration ceremony
  17. Sahyadri Navratna Award given to Parekh for being a "woman of substance"
  18. Solitaire for Life Award from the ABN Amro Solitaire Design Awards show
  19. Nashik International Film Festival—Lifetime Achievement Award
  20. 'Lachchu Mahraj Puraskar' Award for Parekh's contribution to dance and acting
  21. 40th International Film Festival of India felicitated Parekh for completing 50 years in Hindi cinema
  22. 'Legends Live Forever Award' from the Immortal Memories Event
  23. Golden Laurel Award—Ninth Gr8 Women Achievers Awards
  24. Prakarti Ratan Award
  25. Jaipur International Film Festival—Lifetime Achievement Award
  26. Bhishma Award by the Ashram Arts Academy
  27. Kalakar Awards — Living Legend Award
  28. "Walk of the Stars" honour, where a tile bears her handprint
  29. Stardust-Lifetime Achievement Award
  30. Most Stylish Lifetime Style Icon Award—Hindustan Times Most Stylish Awards
  31. Second Best Book Award for her memoir "The Hit Girl" at the 5th annual Pune International Literary Festival
  32. Bimal Roy Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award
  33. Global Cinema Festival-Lifetime Achievement Award