Asha Parekh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Asha Parekh
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Parekh in 2022
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| Born | 2 October 1942 |
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| Years active | 1952–2008 |
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Full list |
| Honours | Padma Shri (1992) Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2020) |
Asha Parekh (born 2 October 1942) is a famous Indian actress, film director, and producer. She worked mainly in Hindi films. Many people think she is one of the best actresses in Hindi cinema. Parekh has acted in over 85 films during her career, which lasted more than forty years.
She has won many awards, including two Filmfare Awards. In 1992, the Government of India gave her the Padma Shri award for her great work in cinema. She also received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2020, which is a very high honor in Indian cinema.
Parekh started acting as a child in the film Maa (1952). Her first main role was in Dil Deke Dekho (1959). She became a top actress in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of her popular films include Teesri Manzil (1966), Love in Tokyo (1966), Kati Patang (1970), and Caravan (1971).
She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her role in Kati Patang. In 2002, she received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. She wrote a book about her life called The Hit Girl, which came out in 2017.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Asha Parekh was born on 2 October 1942. She is from a Gujarati family. Her mother, Sudha Parekh, was a Bohri Muslim, and her father, Bachubhai Parekh, was a Hindu Gujarati.
Her mother encouraged her to learn Indian classical dance from a young age. She had many dance teachers, including Pandit Bansilal Bharati.
A Star's Journey in Cinema
Parekh began her acting career as a child artist. She was known as Baby Asha Parekh. Famous film director Bimal Roy saw her dancing on stage. He cast her in Maa (1952) when she was ten years old.
She also appeared in Baap Beti (1954). After this film didn't do well, she stopped acting for a while to focus on her schooling. When she was 16, she wanted to try acting again as a main heroine.
Becoming a Leading Actress
At first, she was turned down for a role in Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959). The director thought she wasn't "star material." But just eight days later, film producer Subodh Mukherjee and writer-director Nasir Hussain chose her. They cast her as the heroine in Dil Deke Dekho (1959) with Shammi Kapoor. This film made her a huge star.
This also started a long working relationship with Nasir Hussain. She starred in six more of his films, including Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961) and Caravan (1971). She also had a small role in his 1984 film Manzil Manzil.
Memorable Roles and Awards
Asha Parekh was often known for playing glamorous, dancing, or tomboy roles. But director Raj Khosla gave her more serious parts. She played dramatic roles in films like Do Badan (1966) and Chirag (1969). For Chirag, she was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.
Director Shakti Samanta also gave her strong roles. Her performance in Kati Patang (1970) won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She also received nominations for her supporting roles in Udhar Ka Sindur (1976) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978).
Acting in Different Languages
Many important directors chose her for their films again and again. Besides Hindi films, Parekh also acted in three Gujarati films. The first one, Akhand Saubhagyavati (1963), was a big success.
She also worked in some Punjabi films, like Kankan De Ohle (1971). She even appeared in the hit Kannada film Sharavegada Saradara (1989). She was a popular screen partner for actors like Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna.
Beyond Acting: Directing and Leadership
After her time as a leading lady, Parekh took on supporting roles. She played characters like sisters-in-law or mothers. One notable film was Kaalia (1981), where she acted alongside Amitabh Bachchan.
She later decided to become a television director. In the early 1990s, she directed the Gujarati TV show Jyoti. She started her own production company, Akruti. She produced other TV shows like Kora Kagaz.
Parekh was also the president of the Cine Artistes' Association from 1994 to 2000. She was the first female chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) of India. She held this important position from 1998 to 2001.
In 2008, she was a judge on the reality show Tyohaar Dhamaaka. Her autobiography, The Hit Girl, was released in 2017.
Personal Life
Asha Parekh has chosen to remain unmarried. She has said that her strong personality made people hesitant to ask her to marry them.
Today, Parekh focuses on her dance academy, Kara Bhavan. There is also a hospital named after her in Santacruz, Mumbai. It is called "BCJ Hospital and Asha Parekh Research Centre," because she helped fund its medical and surgical parts.
Impact and Recognition
Asha Parekh is considered one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema. In 2022, Outlook India included her in their list of "75 Best Bollywood Actresses." She was one of the highest-paid actresses from the late 1960s to early 1970s.
Box Office India listed her among the "Top Actresses" seven times between 1966 and 1972. She even topped the list twice, in 1967 and 1968. In 2022, the 53rd International Film Festival of India honored her by showing three of her films. Her hand-print was also unveiled at the Walk of the Stars in Mumbai.
Farhana Farook of Filmfare magazine said that Asha Parekh is "undeniably distinct from her peers." Gautam Chintamani of Firstpost called her "one of the biggest film stars to grace the silver screen." Outlook India noted that Parekh was famous for her amazing dance moves.
The Statesman called her Bollywood's "jubilee girl" because of her many hit films. Arushi Jain of The Indian Express described Parekh as "effervescent, fashionista, cheerful, dancer and glamour girl." She worked hard to become one of the most sought-after leading ladies of the 1960s.
Filmography
Awards and Honors
Asha Parekh has received many awards throughout her career. She won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. She has also received several other Lifetime Achievement Awards from different film festivals and organizations.
These include the Kalakar Award in 2004, the International Indian Film Academy Awards in 2006, and the Pune International Film Festival Award in 2007. She also received the Living Legend Award from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1992, which is a high civilian honor from the Indian government. In 2022, she received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for her contributions to Indian cinema.
Here is a list of some of her awards and nominations:
- Won – Gujarat State Award for Best Actress for Akhand Saubhagyavati (1963)
- Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Chirag (1969)
- Won – Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Kati Patang (1971)
- Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Udhar Ka Sindur (1976)
- Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978)
- Padma Shri awarded in the Arts (1992)
- Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (2002)
- Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) felicitated Parekh for her outstanding contribution to the Indian film industry (2003)
- Kalakar Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)
- International Indian Film Academy Awards for outstanding achievement in Indian cinema (2006)
- Saptarang Ke Saptashee Award (2006)
- Gujarati Association of North America (GANA)'s First International Gujarati Convention—Lifetime Achievement Award (2006)
- Pune International Film Festival—Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)
- Bollywood Award—Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)
- Living Legend Award from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
- Film Federation of India honoured Parekh at its Golden Jubilee celebration ceremony (2008)
- Sahyadri Navratna Award given to Parekh for being a "woman of substance" (2008)
- Solitaire for Life Award from the ABN Amro Solitaire Design Awards show (2008)
- Nashik International Film Festival—Lifetime Achievement Award (2009)
- 'Lachchu Mahraj Puraskar' Award for Parekh's contribution to dance and acting (2009)
- 40th International Film Festival of India felicitated Parekh for completing 50 years in Hindi cinema (2009)
- 'Legends Live Forever Award' from the Immortal Memories Event (2009)
- Golden Laurel Award—Ninth Gr8 Women Achievers Awards (2010)
- Prakarti Ratan Award (2010)
- Jaipur International Film Festival—Lifetime Achievement Award (2011)
- Bhishma Award by the Ashram Arts Academy (2012)
- Kalakar Awards – Living Legend Award (2018)
- "Walk of the Stars" honour, where a tile bears her handprint (2013)
- Stardust-Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)
- Most Stylish Lifetime Style Icon Award—Hindustan Times Most Stylish Awards (2017)
- Second Best Book Award for her memoir "The Hit Girl" at the 5th annual Pune International Literary Festival (PILF) (2017)
- Bimal Roy Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award (2019)
- Global Cinema Festival-Lifetime Achievement Award (2020)
- Master Deenanath Puraskar Award for "dedicated services in the field of cinema" (2022)
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award presented for the year 2020 by Government of India (2022)
- India International Film Festival of Boston - Lifetime Achievement Award (2022)
- Girnar Gaurav Award - Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)
- Amrit Ratna Samman Award (2023)
- Raj Kapoor Award given by Maharashtra state government (2024)
See Also
- Asha Parekh filmography
