Asha Parekh: Things you should know about the actress

Quitting as a child actor

Asha Parekh shot to fame as a child actor when she made her debut with Aasmaan. She was all of 10. Success seemed to have come early for her as she caught the attention of renowned director, Bimal Roy, while dancing at a stage function which landed her a role in his film, Baap Beti, when she was 12. However, the film bombed at the box-office and despite having worked in quite a few films as a child actor, Asha was so disheartened that she quit films to go back to school like a normal teenager.

Rejection for the better

Asha Parekh decided to make a comeback to films as a heroine at the age of sweet 16 but was turned down by Vijay Bhatt. He refused to cast her in his film, Goonj Uthi Shehnai, as he did not find her to be star material. Instead, he chose actress Ameeta over her. But fate had something bigger in store for her as just a day later, Asha was cast by producer, Subodh Mukherjee, and writer-director, Nasir Hussain, as the lead heroine of the film, Dil Deke Dekho, starring Shammi Kapoor as the male lead. The film went on to become a superhit.

Super stardom

After initial rejections and a few preliminary setbacks, Asha Parekh tasted success with Nasir Hussein’s Dil Deke Dekho, her first film as a lead heroine, and since then, there was no looking back for her. The half Jain half Muslim actress was offered six more films including Teesri Manzil and Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon by the same director. With several awards including the Padma Shri and Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, Asha ruled Bollywood for about three decades.

Unmarried

The beautiful actress, who had ruled Bollywood for several years, did not get hitched and claimed that her it was her nature that did not let anyone ask for her hand in marriage. Call it choice or destiny, Asha is single even today. Though she has confessed about being in love with someone for long but like most love stories, hers seems to be an incomplete one.

Bollywood BFFs

In a world of cut-throat competition, cold wars and tiffs among the top actresses, the girl gang of Asha Parekh, Shammi, Waheeda Rahman and Helen can be spotted together at film screenings and parties even now. Asha and Shammi are inseparable and their bonhomie impresses fans even today. Now that’s something they that sets an example for the next generation.

Other endeavours

Unlike several legendary actresses who took up playing moms to lead actors in films, Asha Parekh chose to bid adieu to films completely. Asha had ventured into television production with her company, Akruti. She went on to become the first female chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) of India and held the position for about six years. She was also a part of the Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA) for quite some time. She currently runs a dance academy, Kara Bhavan, and has the Asha Parekh Hospital in Mumbai named after her for her contribution.