Parveen Babi

 ( 1954 Births ) 

Parveen Sultana Wali Mohammad Khanji Babi (; 4 April 194920 January 2005) was an Indian actress and model, who worked in Hindi films. One of the highest-paid actresses of the 1970s and the 1980s, she appeared in over 70 films and was the first Bollywood star to appear on the cover of Time magazine. She was known for her glamorous acting style, her modelling and fashion, and was often cited in the media as a sex symbol.

Babi was born in 1949, into the Babi dynasty. She was educated at St. Xavier's College and began her modeling career in 1971. Two years later, she made her acting debut in the film Charitra. She became popular in the mid-1970s, with notable roles in films like Majboor and Deewaar. Over the following years, she appeared in several of the highest-grossing Indian films, including Kaala Sona, Amar Akbar Anthony, Suhaag, Kaala Patthar, Shaan, Kranti, Kaalia and Namak Halaal. The film Irada released in 1991, was her final film before she retired from the film industry.

Babi's personal life received much attention. She remained unmarried after a string of relationships with Danny Denzongpa, Kabir Bedi and Mahesh Bhatt. She was believed to have been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, which came to the attention of the public, following various incidents. On 20 January 2005, she died at the age of 50, in her apartment in Mumbai. An autopsy stated that she died from organ failure and diabetes.

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Early life Parveen Sultana Wali Mohammad Khanji Babi was born on 4 April 1949 in Junagadh in the Saurashtra State of the Republic of India (now in Gujarat) to a noble family, in the Babi dynasty.:"On 4 April 1954, she gave birth to Parveen Sultana Wali Mohammad Khanji Babi." Born 14 years after her parents' marriage, she was an only child. Her father was Vali Mohammed Khan Babi, an administrator of Junagadh State and a relative of Muhammad Mahabat Khan III. Her mother was Jamal Bakhte Babi, from Amreli. They belonged to the Babi tribe of Gujarati Pathans. "The Illustrious Babi Daynasty :: JunaGadh State". junagadhstate.org. Her father died from throat cancer when she was six years old, while her mother died in 2001. She grew up living in a 54 room haveli. She completed her early education at a Gujarati medium school.

She was educated at St. Xavier's College, Ahmedabad. As a native speaker of Gujarati, Hindi and Urdu, Babi self-taught herself English, in college. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English major and Psychology and a Master of Arts in English.

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Career

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1971–1974: Modelling, debut and early roles Babi's modelling career began in 1971, when she was recruited by Jeannie Naoroji, for a fashion show at Calico Dome in September 1971. In 1972, B. R. Ishara having taken notice of Babi and who was watching over the shooting of his film Ek Nao Do Kinare (1973) in Ahmedabad, offered her a role in a film, but he forgot to contact her. Following this, Mamta Sahu, a model working for Naoroji and the daughter of director Kishore Sahu, took notice of Babi's potential and recommended Babi to her father, who was searching for a new cast member, whom he could cast in his film Dhuen Ki Lakeer (1974). Unknown to Sahu, Ishara announced that Babi would make her acting debut in his film Charitra which was released in 1973, opposite cricketer Salim Durani. "Bollywood star Parveen Babi dies" BBC News, 22 January 2005 Ultimately, Sahu and Ishara reached an agreement, allowing Babi to begin shooting with Sahu, who hired Roshan Taneja to teach her the basics of acting. Babi relocated to Mumbai and lived with Sahu and his family while shooting. The two films, released six months apart, performed poorly at the box office.

In Charitra, Babi played Shikha, a college student who is pressured into a sexual relationship with her father's creditor to alleviate her family's financial struggles. Critics praised her; The Illustrated Weekly of India described her as "having talent" and Free Press Journal said her "debut is promising." In Ravi Tandon's Majboor (1974), Babi garnered recognition for her role as Neela Rajvansh, it was the first of her many collaborations with actor Amitabh Bachchan.

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1974–1976: Breakthrough and career advancement Babi had her breakthrough with her portrayal of Anita, a prostitute, in the action crime film Deewaar (1975), which emerged as one of the year's highest-grossing films in Hindi cinema. Her character was noted for engaging in premarital sex and drinking alcohol, defying societal norms for Indian woman, and helped establish Babi's Westernization. In 1976, she starred opposite Dev Anand in Bullet, opposite Randhir Kapoor in Bhanwar, Mama Bhanja and Mazdoor Zindabaad as well as Rishi Kapoor in Rangila Ratan, but these films were unsuccessful. Yash Chopra had originally cast Babi in Kabhi Kabhie (1976) as Pinky Kapoor, opposite Rishi Kapoor, but she was eventually replaced by Neetu Singh, as Chopra felt she would not look suitable alongside Kapoor.

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1976–1983: Established actress Babi appeared in numerous successful films throughout the 1970s and the early 1980s. Notably, she played the leading lady, Jenny, opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) and portrayed Anu, opposite Shashi Kapoor in Suhaag (1979). Both films were the highest-grossing releases in India of their respective years. Her box-office success continued with Kaala Patthar (1979) and Namak Halaal (1982) opposite Kapoor, Kaala Sona (1975) opposite Feroz Khan, Chandi Sona (1977) opposite Sanjay Khan, and Jaani Dost (1983) opposite Dharmendra. She was one of the highest-paid actresses at the time, Babi was earning approximately ₹2 to ₹3 lakh per film during that period.

With her then boyfriend, Kabir Bedi, working in European cinema, Babi aspired to do the same and she was cast in the Italian film (1977) alongside Bedi, but she decided to quit the film after their breakup. Chopra had also considered Babi and Smita Patil for Silsila (1981), but they were ultimately replaced by Rekha and Jaya Bachchan, respectively. While Chopra stated that Babi took the news well, actor Ranjeet claimed that inside, she was deeply upset by the decision.

In 1982, Babi appeared in offbeat films Dil... Akhir Dil Hai, opposite Naseeruddin Shah and the erotic drama Yeh Nazdeekiyan, opposite Bollywood debutant Marc Zuber. In Yeh Nazdeekiyan, she played a supermodel named Kiran with whom Zuber's character Sunil has an affair. Due to the film's low budget, director Vinod Pande could only afford to pay her ₹1 lakh. Aroon Purie of India Today criticised Babi's performance, remarking that her "acting repertoire in the film ranges from opening her mouth to show happiness and licking her upper lip suggestively to show ecstasy".

Babi's 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. Due to this, it was difficult for Bollywood producers to offer her roles as a traditional woman. Due to their similar appearances, she was often compared to her contemporary Zeenat Aman. She shared the screen with Aman in Mahaan (1983) and Ashanti (1982)—the latter inspired by the American television series Charlie's Angels, with Shabana Azmi completing the trio.

Aside from acting, Babi also worked as a model, during her career. She would generally 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 magazine in July 1976, for which she made history; the cover has since become iconic.

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1983–1993: Later career Babi later "disappeared" from the film industry in 1983, not informing anybody about her whereabouts, which caused exaggerated rumours and pompous claims, that she might have been "under the control" of figures in the "underworld". Many of her films were released during the following years, right up until her last film Irada in 1991. She worked as an interior decorator from 1983 to 1992. After leaving the film industry in 1983, she studied music, piano, painting, architecture, literature, writing, cultural and archaeological study, politics, photography, sculpture, and human-rights issues. She also contributed to newspapers and magazines, from 1968 to 1993. She lived in a penthouse apartment in Bombay, living affluently from sound financial investments.

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Personal life

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Religion Born into a Muslim family, Babi was influenced by several religions growing up, including Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. She often questioned certain religious norms, such as eating pork, and believed that morality and kindness were more important than adherence to dogma. She converted to Christianity on 21 June 1997 and was baptised at the All Saints' Church in Malabar Hill.

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Relationships In 1969, Babi became engaged to her distant cousin from Pakistan, Jamil Khan, which was ended by her mother during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, devastating her. In 1972, Babi dated Neville Damania, the bassist of the band Purple Flowers, before she relocated to Bombay, to pursue a career in the film industry. From 1972 to 1976, she was in a relationship with actor Danny Denzongpa and they lived together, during that time. After their breakup, Denzongpa remained one of Babi's confidants, but they had a falling out in 1983, because Babi accused him of being Amitabh Bachchan's spy.

In September 1975, Babi started dating actor Kabir Bedi, who was having an open relationship with his wife Protima Bedi, at the time. After learning about Babi and Bedi's relationship, Protima and Kabir agreed to divorce, allowing Kabir to date Babi exclusively. In 1976, following the success of his television series Sandokan, Babi travelled with Bedi to Italy and Spain and in 1977 to Yugoslavia. They split in 1977.

Also in 1977, film director Mahesh Bhatt, who was already married to Lorraine Bright, began a three year long relationship with Babi. When the media began to speculate, Babi denied a relationship between them. Six months after their relationship began, Bhatt told Bright about his affair with Babi.

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Friendships During Babi's relationship with Kabir Bedi, she initially maintained a cordial relationship with Protima Bedi, but later became possessive over Protima, leading to a falling out between the two. Protima would often ask Babi to look after her two children, while she was in Odisha. She attended Protima's funeral in 1998. She was first introduced to U. G. Krishnamurti, through Mahesh Bhatt in 1979 and subsequently developed a close mentorship and friendship with him.

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Mental health Mahesh Bhatt revealed that Babi had her first panic attack in 1969, during communal riots. During which she was hidden under a mattress and transported to her guardian's home, fearing she might be sexually assaulted.

After a film shoot for the movie Shaan in 1979, Bhatt, her mother Jamal and her secretary Ved Sharma, witnessed Babi sitting in the corner of her bedroom, holding a knife. Babi claimed that Amitabh Bachchan, was attempting to kill her and the room was bugged. Over several days, she expressed persistent paranoia, claiming that many people including Bhatt, were conspiring against her.

On 30 July 1983, Babi left India and travelled to various countries, for a spiritual journey with U. G. Krishnamurti and his friend Valentine and also lived in Los Angeles, Houston, London and Switzerland, for some time. She returned to Bombay in November 1989. She was rumoured to have been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, although she always denied this, stating that it was a conspiracy by the film industry and the media, to malign her image and make her look insane, so they could cover up their crimes. Babi also broke off her relationships with most of her friends and family members and became reclusive in her later years.

On 7 April 1984, Babi was suspected at John F. Kennedy International Airport, after she failed to submit her identification papers, the authorities handcuffed her and kept her in a general ward, with 30 other mentally disturbed patients. The Indian Consul General and U.G. Krishnamurti, who had been informed about the incident, came to visit her at the hospital and were able to get her released. During their visit, Babi smiled and chatted with the consul as if nothing had happened. In an January 1990 interview with a film magazine, she said: "Amitabh Bachchan is a super international gangster. He is after my life. His goons kidnapped me and I was kept on an island where they performed a surgery on me and planted one transmitter/chip/electronic bug right under my ear." There was a photograph of Babi, showing a scar below her ears.

Babi wrote a complaint in 2002, in which she accused several prominent figures: Amitabh Bachchan, Bill Clinton, Charles, Prince of Wales and Al Gore, along with the US government and British governments, Roman Catholic Church, the CIA, CBI, Mossad and the BJP of conspiring to kill her, but her petition in court was dismissed, due to lack of evidence.

Also in 2002, she again hit the headlines when she filed an affidavit in a special court hearing of the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, claiming that she had gathered clinching evidence against actor Sanjay Dutt showing his involvement in the case, but she did not turn up in court after being summoned, saying that she was afraid of being killed. During the last four years of her life, Babi recorded every phone call, always informing the caller about surveillance.

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Death Babi was found dead on 22 January 2005 at the age of 50, after her residential society secretary alerted the police, that she had not collected groceries and newspapers from her doorstep for three days., The Indian Express, 22 January 2005. The police suspected that she may have been dead for up to 48 hours, before her body was found. The cause of death was not immediately known. She was found to have gangrene on her left foot, a complication from diabetes. A wheelchair was found near her bed along with a series of disarranged paintings, clothes, medicines, and old newspapers. It is possible that she was unable to walk in her last days, due to a gangrenous foot and required the use of a wheelchair, to move around in her flat. Parveen Babi found dead in her flat. mid-day.com. 23 January 2005 An autopsy was performed at Cooper Hospital and reports showed that there were no traces of food in her stomach, but some alcohol (possibly from her medication) was found and it was possible that she had not eaten anything, for more than three days and starved to death as a result. The police ruled out foul play and determined she succumbed to organ failure and diabetes.

Although Babi expressed a desire to be buried according to Christian rites, her Muslim relatives who claimed her body after her death, buried her according to Islamic rites. She was buried at Juhu Muslim cemetery in Santacruz, Mumbai. "Chaos, confusion mark Parveen Babi's funeral" . expressindia.com.

After her death, the State Administrator General of Maharashtra, became the sole custodian of her properties and assets. Later, chaos erupted when various distant relatives filed petitions with the high court regarding the will of her property, which had been lying in the locker of a Junagadh bank, executed jointly by actor and her friend Murad Khan Babi. The will stated that 70% of her property was to be put in a trust in her name to help poor members of the Babi family. 20% was pledged to Murad Khan Babi, for being "a guiding force", and 10% was to be given to Christian missionary funds.

Five years later in 2010, due to a shortage of land space for burials, Babi's grave along with other luminary Bollywood celebrities, such as Mohammed Rafi, Madhubala, Sahir Ludhianvi, Talat Mahmood, Naushad Ali, who were interred at Santa Cruz Muslim Cemetery, was exhumed and their remains were relocated.

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Artistry and legacy Babi is regarded as one of the most glamorous beautiful and greatest actresses of Indian cinema. She never shied away from portraying roles of women having a live-in relationship or consuming alcohol openly, both of which were taboo in those times. The fact that she was paired with Amitabh Bachchan in eight films, during the peak of the Big B mania, attests to her stature and star power. Bachchan and Babi complemented each other in the heady first years of the Angry Young Man phenomenon. One of the highest paid actresses of the 1970s and the 1980s, in 2022, she was placed in Outlook Indias "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list. Babi was among the most stylish and beautiful actress of Hindi cinema. Times of India placed her in its "50 Beautiful Faces" list. She was the first Indian star to be featured on the cover of the Asia edition of TIME in 1976. Rediff.com placed Babi seventh in its "Sexiest Bollywood stars of all times" list. Babi is considered among the hottest Bollywood actresses of all time.

Writing for Firstpost, Subhash K. Jha noted, "With her good looks, perk, poise, and sex appeal, the sky was the limit for Parveen Babi." Filmfare noted, "In the 1970s and 1980s, Parveen Babi had a devoted fan base and lit up the screen whenever she showed on it." India Today wrote, "Parveen Babi with her chiselled looks, well-sculpted body and anglicised accent donned the mantle of archetypal Indian heroine and imparted to the female prima donna of Bollywood her characteristic mannerisms forever." Latha Srinavasan of The Sunday Guardian termed her "alluring yet outspoken" and said she was "a sensation in the 1970s".

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Filmography

1973	Charitra	Shikha
1974	Trimurti	Sunita
	36 Ghante	Naina Rai
	Dhuen Ki Lakeer	Poonam
	Majboor	Neela Rajvansh
1975	Deewaar	Anita
	Kaala Sona	Durga
1976	Bhanwar	Roopa D'Souza
	Bullet	Sapna
	Rangila Ratan	Madhu
	Mazdoor Zindabaad	Kamla
1977	Chandi Sona	Rita
	Amar Akbar Anthony	Jenny
	Chalta Purza	Sheetal
	Darinda	Kirti Thakur
	Mastan Dada	Asha
	Mama Bhanja	Madhu Malini
	Chor Sipahee	Bharti Khanna
	Dol Dilwale	Herself	Cameo
1978	Aahuti	Rekha
	Pati, Patni Aur Woh	Neeta	Cameo
1979	Kaala Patthar	Anita		Kaala Patthar on Yash Raj Films
	Suhaag	Anu
1980	Do Aur Do Paanch	Anju Sharma
	Ek Gunah Aur Sahi	Paro
	The Burning Train	Sheetal Verma
	Shaan	Sunita	Also playback singer for "Pyar Karne Waale"
	Gunehgaar	Madhu
1981	Kranti	Sureeli
	Khoon Aur Paani	Rita
	Meri Aawaz Suno	Rita
	Kaalia	Shalini/Rani Singh
	Ladies Tailor	Parveen	Cameo
1982	Raksha	Chanda/Bijli
	Desh Premee	Dr. Preeti
	Namak Halaal	Nisha
	Ashanti	Sunita
	Dil... Akhir Dil Hai	Sapna
	Khud-Daar	Mary
	Yeh Nazdeekiyan	Kiran
	Taaqat	Ambika
1983	Mangal Pandey	Kavita
	Door-Desh	Renu	Indo-Canadian film
	Arpan	Sona
	Mahaan	Manju
	Rang Birangi	Nirmala Sharma
	Jaani Dost	Meena
	Film Hi Film	Herself	Cameo
	Chor Police	Seema
	Razia Sultan	Khakun
1984	Bad Aur Badnam	Pamela Singh
	Teri Bahon Mein	Dancer	Cameo
	Kanoon Meri Mutthi Mein	Geeta/Jwala
1985	Karm Yudh	Herself	Cameo
	Ameer Aadmi Gharib Aadmi	Dancer	Cameo
	Sitamgar	Sheela
	Telephone	Anita
	Bond 303	Kavita Verma/Suziana	Double Role
1986	Ricky	Herself	Cameo
	Avinash	Nisha
1988	Akarshan	Herself	Special appearance
1991	Iraada	Kiran

Note: Below is a list of all films announced and either unreleased or shelved, due to various reasons.

+List of Unreleased and Shelved films !Year !Film
1973	Gardish
1974	Untitled Film
1975	Chanakya Aur Chandragupta
1977	Accident
1978	Chamatkar
1978	Khuda Gawah
1978	Ghazab
1978	Challenge
1979	Majnoon
1979	Chori Tijori Ki
1979	Sultaan
1980	Ek Do Teen Char
1980	Dum Maaro Dum
1980	Karishma
1980	Jazbaa
1981	Zulm
1981	Ab Meri Baari
1981	Daaman
1982	Tala–Chabi
1983	Qamyab
1983	Jalwa
1983	Mr. Aashiq
1983	Satrangi
1984	Kasak
1984	Kaasai
1985	Bharosa
1985	Jaahil
1986	Jannat
1987	Pehlu
1988	Khushboo

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Honours and tributes Mahesh Bhatt wrote and directed the movie Arth, released in 1982, it is supposedly a semi-autobiographical film about his relationship with Babi. Smita Patil's role Kavita in the film, was inspired by Babi. Bhatt also wrote and produced the movie Woh Lamhe, released in 2006 it was directed by his nephew Mohit Suri, it was based on his recollection and interpretation of his relationship with Babi and without any inputs from her. The role of Sana Azim, was inspired by her and was portrayed by Kangana Ranaut. "Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt - Parveen Babi and Parvan I" The Dawn. Retrieved 31 December 2006.

Fellow actress Zeenat Aman said, "Parveen was gorgeous, glamorous and talented. Back in the '70s, we wore our hair in a similar manner and enjoyed Western fashion. After her death, I often ruminated on how she was remembered. Parveen was much more than who she dated or what she said when she was unwell. I feel she never truly got the chance to say her piece." Zeenat Aman remembers 'remarkable' Parveen Babi on her birthday: Never truly got the chance to say her piece Hindustan Times. Retrieved 29 April 2022. Designer Manish Malhotra said, "Parveen Babi brought minimalism into fashion. She was always impeccable, not overdoing it even once." Malhotra also added her in his "Five super stylish heroines of the seventies" list. In 2006, the 37th International Film Festival of India honoured Babi by screening her films. In 2020, Karishma Upadhyay wrote an biography about her named: "Parveen Babi: A Life". Parveen Babi: A Life by Karishma Upadhyay fetishises actor's suffering! HuffPost. Retrieved 23 September 2021.

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Notes

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Citations

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Bibliography

• Karishma Upadhyay (2025). 9789388322942, Hachette India. ISBN 9789388322942
• Protima Bedi (2025). 9780140288803, Penguin Random House. . ISBN 9780140288803
• Kabir Bedi (2025). 9789390679409, Westland Publications. . ISBN 9789390679409
• Rachel Dwyer (2025). 9781839021312, British Film Institute. ISBN 9781839021312

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External links

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