Parveen Babi

Bollywood Actress

Parveen Babi was born in Junagadh, Saurashtra (now a part of Gujarat), India on April 4th, 1949 and is the Bollywood Actress. At the age of 55, Parveen Babi biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.

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Other Names / Nick Names
Parveen Wali Mohammad Khan Babi, Parveen
Date of Birth
April 4, 1949
Nationality
India
Place of Birth
Junagadh, Saurashtra (now a part of Gujarat), India
Death Date
Jan 20, 2005 (age 55)
Zodiac Sign
Aries
Profession
Actor, Film Actor, Model
Parveen Babi Height, Weight, Eye Color and Hair Color

At 55 years old, Parveen Babi has this physical status:

Height
170cm
Weight
64kg
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Black
Build
Voluptuous
Measurements
Not Available
Parveen Babi Religion, Education, and Hobbies
Religion
Not Available
Hobbies
Not Available
Education
Mount Carmel High School
Parveen Babi Spouse(s), Children, Affair, Parents, and Family
Spouse(s)
Not Available
Children
Not Available
Dating / Affair
Siddharth Bhattacharjee, Danny Denzongpa, Kabir Bedi, Mahesh Bhatt, Amitabh Bachchan, Abdul Ella
Parents
Vali Mohammed Khan Babi, Jamal Bakhte Babi
Parveen Babi Career

Parveen Babi's modelling career began in 1972 and was quickly followed by her film debut with the film Charitra (1973), opposite cricketer Salim Durrani. The film was a flop, but she was noticed and snapped up for several more films. Babi first received recognition for her role as Neela in the drama film Majboor (1974). She had her breakthrough starring as a prostitute, Anita, in the action crime-drama film Deewaar (1975), which attained a cult following, and helped established her as a leading lady. She went on to appear in many successful films throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably starring as Jenny in Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Anu in Suhaag (1979), Anita in Kaala Patthar (1979), Sheetal in The Burning Train (1980), Sunita in Shaan (1980), Shallini / Rani in Kaalia (1981), and Nisha in Namak Halaal (1982).

Parveen was one of the most successful actresses of her era, along with Hema Malini, Rekha, Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, Zeenat Aman and Raakhee. She starred opposite Amitabh Bachchan in eight films, all hits or super-hits. She also starred in other hit films such as Suhaag (1979), Kaala Patthar (1979), and Namak Halaal (1982) opposite Shashi Kapoor, Kala Sona (1975) opposite Feroz Khan, Chandi Sona (1977) opposite Sanjay Khan and Jaani Dost (1983) opposite Dharmendra. Later in her career, she had also appeared in off-beat films such as Vinod Pande's Yeh Nazdeekiyan (1982), playing the "other woman" opposite Marc Zuber, and Dil... Akhir Dil Hai (1982), opposite Naseeruddin Shah.

Her career peaked at the time when most heroines were engulfed in Indian attributes and Babi was one among the few actresses whose attire was completely westernised and this provided her a certain latitude many other contemporary female artists were denied in India's heavily male-dominated and misogynistic cinematic fiefdom. Parveen Babi along with Zeenat Aman with their chiselled looks, well-sculpted bodies and anglicised accents, donned the mantle of the westernized Indian heroine and imparted to the female prima donna of Bollywood their characteristic mannerisms forever. In fact, she acted alongside Aman in Mahaan (1983) and Ashanti (1982) (inspired by the American television show Charlie's Angels, with the third role played by Shabana Azmi).

As Babi's personality symbolized western standards, it was difficult for Bollywood producers to give her the typical bharatiya nari and gaon ki gori roles. She mainly starred in westernized and glamorous roles that established her status as a top heroine. She appeared in several commercially successful films of the era and her main co-stars were Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Feroz Khan, Dharmendra and Vinod Khanna, all leading stars of the 1970s and 1980s. Aside from acting, Babi also worked as a model in her career. She generally would appear on the front page of every film magazine, including Filmfare, The Stardust, and Bombay Dyeing. She was also the first Bollywood actress to appear on the front page of Time in July 1976, for which she made history; the cover has since become iconic.

She never shied away from portraying roles of women having a live-in relationship with men and consuming alcohol openly, both of which were taboo in those times. The fact that Parveen was paired with Amitabh Bachchan in eight films during the peak of the Big B mania attests to her stature and star power. Amitabh and Parveen complemented each other in the heady first years of the Angry Young Man phenomenon.

Babi later "disappeared" from the film scene in 1983, informing nobody of her whereabouts, which allowed for exaggerated rumours and pompous claims that she might be "under the control" of figures in the "underworld". Many of her completed films were released in the following years, right up to her last film Akarshan in 1988. She started a career as an interior decorator in 1983. After withdrawing from show business, she took up music, piano, painting, architecture, literature, writing, cultural and archaeological study, politics, photography, sculpture, and human-rights issues. She also made numerous contributions to newspapers and magazines from 1973 to 1992. She lived in a penthouse apartment in Mumbai, living affluently from sound financial investments.

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