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. The fact that Parveen was paired with Amitabh Bachchan in 8 films during the peak of Big-B mania attests to her stature and star power. It seems to have taken a superstar of Bachchan's stature or should we say only a superstar of Bachchan's stature could stand side by side with the presence of Parveen Babi. Amitabh and Parveen complemented each other in the heady first years of the "Angry Young Man" phenomenon. They were paired to each other as the tragic lovers in the seminal "Deewaar" (1975), which is (although a secondary part) one of Babi's most enduring and memorable roles.

In "Deewaar" Parveen Babi showed the prospects of a maturing serious actress with much potential. Perhaps she was too pretty, unconventionally Westernized in her look and lithe body and it is very obvious from just one glance that her role in the film would not be the typical Indian heroine. It was Parveen Babi and Zeenat Aman who revolutionized the look and body image of the Bollywood female. Their athletically sculpted bodies and jet set looks modeled after Western tastes signaled new trends for what was desirable and fashionable on the Bollywood screen. The influence of the Zeenat and Parveen explosion of the early to mid 1970s still reverberates today. Current actress' like Bipasha Basu are often compared to Zeenat and Parveen even though it has been 25 years since their heyday.

This said, Parveen Babi was only a major star in Bollywood for a short period. Her star status really began in 1974 with "Majboor" (again opposite Amitabh Bachchan) and peaked with her performance in, "Amar Akbar Anthony" (again with Amitabh) in 1977.

Parveen continued to act through the 1980s but her star and image were continually diminished as the years past. She was type cast because of her Western good looks and (like Zeenat Aman) uninhibited nature to 'reveal' (the term for wearing provocative clothes) and received parts as the 'other woman' or 'bad girl' and her acting talents were overlooked and never allowed to stretch after her promising beginning. Parveen was relegated to 'item dancer' status and exploited because of her fabulous face and voluptuous figure.

There was also a tortured and erratic side to Parveen that began to emerge in the late 70s. It was the first stages of schizophrenia that would eventually consume her being and end her career in films.

The stories of Parveen Babi's erratic behavior filled the Bollywood gossip fan magazines of the late 70s and early 80s. Her very real mental illness was covered up by the press and the Bollywood publicity machine. One could sense a certain puritanical morality at work, with gossip eluding to the "Westernized" wild girl who was a bit mad. The publicists and journalist termed Parveen's battle with schizophrenia as 'Her long standing illness' and the general consensus was one of don't ask, don't tell.

 

One would think that if Parveen Babi had been stricken with cancer or with any other disease besides the mental illness of schizophrenia she would have received overwhelming public support. However in the 1970s and still today, there is a fear and suspicion of mental illness. Schizophrenia like all other diseases is a treatable illness but it takes it's toll on the psyche.

The actualities are murky and the general press refers to whole periods where Parveen Babi just 'disappeared' which I guess is the friendly euphemism for being committed. One thing is clear, for an earnest period Parveen sought mental and spiritual solace through alternative contemporary spirituality. She followed Osho the Indian "Love Guru" for a few years and became involved with the teachings of Krishnamurti.

Parveen Babi passed away on Jan. 20, 2005, she lived in virtual seclusion meeting on family and a few friends the last few years of her life. May she rest in peace. Her name will always be synonymous with that certain Bollywood sexiness every hot young actress aspires to capture.

 

 

Parveen Babi Photo Galleries 01. Publicity stills 02. Parveen Babi in "Deewaar"(1975) 03. Parveen in "Amar Akbar Anthony" (1977) 04. Parveen in "Suhaag" [1979] 05. Parveen in "Kranti" (1981) 06. Parveen Babi Photo Gallery

 

Parveen Babi links:

Dinesh Raheja's rediff.com Parveen Babi profile.

bollywood movie database Parveen Babi file

bollywooda2z.com filmography of Parveen Babi

photos of Parveen in connection with Krishnamurti

a report from India's "The Week" on Parveen Babi

indiainfo.com story on Parveen's strange behavior

sify news story related to above story