New Delhi: An icon of fashion and acting in India during the 70s and 80s, Parveen Babi is a woman who needs little introduction.
Perhaps the most well-known actress during her time, Parveen Babi managed to cement her position amongst the many stars of Bollywood who are to this day remembered, for she brought just about all the elements that are needed to create a powerful persona on screen that is worthy of remembrance.
Becoming maybe the most sought after actress in Bollywood due to her westernized looks, she was like a symbol of everything opposite of tradition.
During her short reign in cinema she was an important figure whose impact cannot be discounted, as she acted in some of the most successful films of the time and was able to establish herself alongside some of the biggest male stars of the time like Amitabh Bachchan, in a time when Bollywood was one powerful patriarchal kingdom.
Her poise, sex appeal, charm, style and presence truly carried her to the sky, and yet her life was one that was one of the most tragic stories of all time in Bollywood.
Dominating the scene for 13 years, she acted in a total 50 films, ten of which were blockbusters. She made her debut in “Charitra” (1973), though she is best known for role as Anita in “Deewar” (1975), Jenny in “Amar Akbar Anthony” (1977) and Sunita in “Shaan” (1980).
After soaring so high, this icon of style who ruled Indian cinema and was one of the most sought after westernized actresses in India at the time crashed to the ground with blazing speed.
She vanished from the scene in 1983, though many of her films continued to be released throughout the years up till 1988, with her last film “Irada” coming out in 1991.
Aside from acting, she was also a model and is very well renowned for her famous appearance on the cover of Time magazine in 1976, making her the first Indian actress to so.
However, somewhere along the line her mind cracked and seeking solace, she sought alternative contemporary spirituality and followed Osho for a few years after which she got influenced by the teachings of U.G. Krishnamurti.
However, after her return to Mumbai in 1992, she was simply unrecognizable due to the heavy amount of weight that she had put on, and her fragile mental state, where upon her return she was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia though she regularly denied this.
She became mired in various controversies, cutting herself off from her friends. Parveen accused numerous renowned dignitaries, like Bill Clinton and Amitabh Bachchan, of conspiring to kill her.
She also filed a written petition in the Bombay High Court against them for attempting to kill her, which was later rejected, due to lack of evidence.
Further, in 1993, she raised eyebrows in the industry and hit headlines when she filed an affidavit against actor Sanjay Dutt for his involvement in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case indicating that she had gathered evidence. But she did not turn up for the court hearing stating that she was scared of making appearance in the public, lest she would be killed.
She stopped making public appearances with her mental illness getting worse. She was the first heroine to speak about drugs openly though she never smoked or drank in public. She openly discussed about her romantic associations with married men in interviews and public appearances.
Parveen Babi stayed unmarried throughout her life, though she was involved in close relationships with married men. Her relationships with director Mahesh Bhatt and actors Kabir Bedi and Danny Denzongpa were highly publicized. Her affair with Mahesh Bhatt was a tumultuous one, which found expression in the film “Arth” by Bhatt.
She died a painful and lonely death in 2005 due to multiple organ failure.
Beyond the story of her tragic ending, and the failing of her mind due to whatever reasons, be they work related or otherwise, her story also stands as an example of our neglect and abandonment of those who suffer from mental illnesses.