Zeenat Aman remembers Parveen Babi on her birth anniversary: ‘She was much more than who she dated or what she said when…’

Read the full post of Zeenat Aman for Parveen Babi here:

 

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“I’d like to remember and honour Parveen today, on her birthday. Parveen was gorgeous, glamorous and talented. Back in the 70s, we wore our hair in a similar manner and enjoyed Western fashion. Though neither of us saw it, we were told we had an uncanny resemblance. It must have been true, because as recently as last year I was approached in Dubai as “Parveen ma’am”.

Naturally the media at the time spun tales of competition and rivalry between us, but in reality we were always warm towards each other. Not best friends, but contemporaries, colleagues and well wishers. We worked together on Ashanti and Mahaan.

Parveen’s struggle with mental health illness came at a time when the country was still so insensitive and ignorant on these matters. After her death, I often ruminated on how she was remembered. The tabloids focused on her romantic relationships and “episodes”, but Parveen was much more than who she dated or what she said when she was unwell. I feel she never truly got the chance to say her piece.

She was intelligent and hardworking and creative. She loved reading, and I remember her curled up with a book in between shots on set. She achieved incredible success as an actor, even featuring on the cover of Time magazine. Later, she took up various creative pursuits, embarked on a spiritual journey, and started designing interiors. We stayed in touch on and off for years, before ultimately drifting apart.

Parveen was remarkable in many ways, and I hope she will be remembered for the effervescent person she was.”

As soon as Zeenat Aman shared the thoughtful post, many celebrities commented on it, with artistes like Farhan Akhtar, Kajol and Janhvi Kapoor dropping heart emojis. Mallika Dua called the post ‘beautiful’ even as Swara Bhasker commented, “Wonderful thoughtful note .. so heartwarming.”

Parveen Babi made her debut in movies in 1973 with Charitra, and went on to star in films such as Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony, Suhaag among more. She was last seen in the 1991 film Iraada.