Who is Parveen Babi
Today is the 70th birth anniversary of the once most beautiful and bold actress Parveen Babi. Parveen, who was a part of dozens of superhit films like Deewaar (1975), Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), The Burning Train (1980), Shaan (1980), Kalia (1981), Namak Halal (1982), had a very painful personal life.
Parveen was at the peak of her career when she was diagnosed with an incurable disease called paranoid schizophrenia. He tried to keep his illness a secret from the world, but with time his changing attitude ruined everything.
Sometimes Parveen Babi used to say that Amitabh Bachchan had kidnapped her and put a chip in her neck, while sometimes she used to accuse international personalities like former US President Bill Clinton and Prince Charles of conspiring to murder her. Parveen Babi was also kept in a mental asylum in New York.
Due to illness, Parveen stayed away from the industry and started spending time in solitude. When his dead body, which had been rotting for 3 days, was found in his flat in 2005, there was a stir in Bollywood.
Today, on Parveen Babi’s birth anniversary, read the story of the painful end of her beautiful life-
4 April 1954
Exactly 70 years ago today, daughter Parveen Babi was born in the house of Wali Mohammad Khan in Junagadh. His family belonged to the family of Nawabs of Junagadh. Parveen Babi was born 14 years after the marriage of her parents, which is why she was brought up with strict rules since childhood.
Parveen was just 5 years old when her father Wali Mohammad died, so her mother Jamal Bakhte Babi raised her while living alone in Ahmedabad. After studying at Mount Carmel High School, Parveen obtained a degree in English Literature from St. Xavier’s College.
Parveen Babi was very bold from an early age. Parveen, who wore modern clothes and smoked cigarettes openly, often attracted people’s attention. This was the reason that at the age of just 18, Parveen started getting big modeling projects.
BR Ishara gave the film after seeing the style of cigarette smoking
One day, the popular filmmaker of that time, B.R. Ishara was shooting a film in Ahmedabad. Parveen had also come to watch the shooting. When the shooting broke, Parveen arrived wearing a mini skirt, stood outside the set and started smoking a cigarette. Meanwhile, B.R. Ishara’s gaze fell. He immediately told his photographer, go and click some pictures of that girl with her permission.
The photographer went and Parveen gave permission to take pictures. B.R. Ishara liked those pictures so much that she immediately called Parveen and asked – Will you work in my film?
Parveen replied to him with great confidence – If I like the story, I will definitely do it.
After hearing the reply, B.R. Ishara was stunned how a young girl could have so much confidence. He immediately told Parveen the story of his upcoming film Charitra, which Parveen liked. In this way Parveen got the first film character of her career. This story is from B.R. Ishara had narrated this in an interview given to Wild Films India.
First film was a flop, then Deewaar brought him stardom
Parveen’s first film flopped badly at the box office, but impressed by her beauty and acting, many filmmakers started offering her films. The film Majboor, released in 1974, was Parveen’s second film, due to which she became recognized across the country. Further, she included herself among the top actresses of the industry by playing the role of a bar dancer in Amitabh Bachchan’s film Deewar.
Had an affair with Kabir Bedi and Danny Denzongpa
Parveen Babi’s first affair in the industry was with Danny Denzongpa. Their relationship lasted for about 4 years. Parveen was also in a relationship with Kabir Bedi, but this relationship did not last long. After the breakup with Kabir Bedi in 1977, Mahesh Bhatt became her support. Mahesh was already married, although this had no effect on their relationship.
Diagnosed with an incurable disease called Paranoid Schizophrenia, used to suspect everyone
Parveen Babi was at the peak of her career, when news started spreading in Bollywood that she was suffering from a serious incurable disease called Paranoid Schizophrenia. Many times Parveen Babi was discussed about her illness, but every time she refused saying that people from the industry were conspiring against her and wanted to tarnish her image.
Parveen Babi never confessed that she had paranoid schizophrenia, although her strange statements and changed behavior made everything clear.
Trembling while holding the knife, he told Mahesh Bhatt – He will kill me.
The witness to Parveen Babi’s illness was Mahesh Bhatt, who was in a relationship with her. After her death, Mahesh Bhatt had mentioned about their relationship and some strange incidents in an interview given to Filmfare magazine. He had said in the interview, our relationship started in 1977, when Parveen was shooting for Amar Akbar Anthony and Kaala Patthar.
We started living together, but one day suddenly a bad story started. One evening in 1979, when I reached his house, I saw his elderly mother, Jamal Babi, standing frightened in the corridor. He whispered, ‘Look what happened to Parveen’. When I went inside, I saw perfume bottles lined up on the dressing table and Parveen sitting crouched between the bed and the wall in her film costume. She was trembling and had a knife in her hand.
When I asked her what she was doing, she said in a low voice, “Shhh…don’t talk.” The spies have installed a recording device in this room. They are trying to kill me. Trying to drop the chandelier on me. I could not understand anything and after some time Parveen held my hand and brought me out. His mother was looking at me with disappointment. His eyes were telling that this was not the first time
Doctors wanted to give electric shock to Parveen, Mahesh Bhatt refused
Seeing Parveen’s condition, Mahesh Bhatt understood that her condition was worsening and she was in dire need of treatment. Mahesh took Parveen to many renowned doctors. At first an attempt was made to treat Parveen with medicine, but that did not work, so the doctors asked her to give shock therapy. Mahesh Bhatt refused this.
Parveen used to have hallucinations, she used to say – people want to kill her.
In an interview given to Filmfare, Mahesh Bhatt, while mentioning an incident, had said that Parveen used to doubt everything around her. One day he told Mahesh that a chip had been installed in the air conditioner in his room. To clear Parveen’s confusion, Mahesh Bhatt opened the entire air conditioner and showed her, but she still did not agree.
Parveen had got down from the moving car due to fear of bomb.
In the same interview, he had told, one day we were returning after meeting my friend U.G. Krishnamurthy, who is also a philosopher. Parveen started shouting on the way. She said, there is a bomb in the car and I can hear the bomb alarm. As soon as she said this, she started trying to get down from the moving car. On the way, people thought that Parveen and I were fighting. When a scene started forming, I took him home by taxi.
Mahesh Bhatt had taken Parveen Babi away from the film world.
Mahesh Bhatt was advised by her doctor that until Parveen’s condition improves, she should be kept away from the film world. Mahesh Bhatt agreed to the doctor and in 1979 he himself left Mumbai with Parveen and shifted to Bangalore. When Parveen’s condition did not improve even after going to Bangalore, doctors advised Mahesh Bhatt to stay away from her.
Mahesh Bhatt did the same and left Parveen and returned to Mumbai. He kept helping Parveen by contacting the doctor while staying in Mumbai. One day Parveen told the doctors that she wanted to return to Mumbai and work in films, but the doctors refused to let her do so.
When Parveen ran after Mahesh Bhatt in less clothes
One day after being separated for several days, Mahesh Bhatt came to Bangalore to meet Parveen. As soon as Parveen met him, she made him realize that she did not want to get herself treated. To convince Mahesh about this, she started seducing him and said – either I or the doctor. Mahesh Bhatt understood and left him. Parveen could not tolerate this and she ran after him in short clothes.
Ultimately in 1980, Mahesh Bhatt ended all relations with Parveen Babi. After this separation, Parveen stopped getting treatment and came to Mumbai and started working in films again.