The year 1966 turned out to be memorable for Asha Parekh. First came Nasir Hussain’s Teesri Manzil, where she played Sunita opposite Rocky (Shammi Kapoor). While her performance was lauded, she also appeared in the iconic songs ‘Aaja aaja main hoon pyaar tera’, ‘O mere sona re’ and ‘Deewana mujhsa nahin’.
Over the next few months, she had hits in Love In Tokyo (best remembered for her Japanese look and jig in the song ‘Sayonara’), Do Badan and Aaye Din Bahar Ke. Though the following year’s film Upkar was essentially known for Manoj Kumar’s performance, and the Mahendra Kapoor song, ‘Mere desh ki dharti’, Asha had a significant role as a doctor promoting family planning.
Rajesh Khanna and Asha Parekh in Aan Milo Sajana. | Photo Credit: PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Needless to say, 1966 wasn’t a one-off occurrence. From her first role as a heroine in the 1959-film Dil Deke Dekho to 1971, which saw the release of Mera Gaon Mera Desh and Caravan, she rode high on success. In an era, when her competitors were the likes of Meena Kumari, Waheeda Rahman, Nutan, Sadhana, Vyjayanthimala, Mala Sinha, Sharmila Tagore and Tanuja, she had her own following.
Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh in Chhaya. | Photo Credit: PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Asha celebrated her 80th birthday this October 2. A few days before that, she was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2022, which evoked mixed reactions. While some felt the honour was justified because of the sheer number of successful films she acted in, others felt actors like Waheeda and Vyjayanthimala were far more deserving. While some also pointed out that she appeared in more hit songs than her contemporaries, others attribute the success of those songs to the composers and singers.
Asha Parekh in Bhai Bhai. | Photo Credit: PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
The conferment of the award may well be a matter of debate. Yet, there’s no denying that Asha had made a mark for herself at least by choosing movies that filmgoers would enjoy. That she won only one Filmfare award – for the 1970 release Kati Patang – doesn’t undermine her popularity. She was also said to be the highest paid actor of her time, though there is no actual confirmation about that.
Dance to films
Interestingly, Asha started her career as a child artiste. Born to a Bohra Muslim mother and a Gujarati Hindu father, she began learning Indian classical dance at a very young age. Famous director Bimal Roy saw her at a stage function and cast her in Maa in 1952, and again in Baap Beti two years later. After a few films, she decided to focus on academics studies for a few years, but at the age of 16, expressed her desire to work in more movies.
Shammi Kapoor with Asha Parekh in Teesri Manzil. | Photo Credit: PHOTO: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
She was first rejected for Goonj Uthi Shehnai by filmmaker Vijay Bhatt, who felt she was no star material. However, she was soon cast by Nasir Hussain opposite Shammi Kapoor in Dil Deke Dekho. (1959). Two years later, Hussain cast her, this time opposite Dev Anand in Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai. Though audiences looked at it more as a Dev Anand film, Asha was featured in the hit Shankar-Jaikishan songs ‘Jiya o jiya’, ‘Teri zulfon se’, ‘Sau saal pehle’ and ‘Yeh aankhen uff yun maa’.
Dev Anand with Asha Parekh in Jab Pyar Kisi Ke Hota Hai. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
The fact that Asha was paired opposite two leading actors early in her career added to her star value. More success followed, including Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Chhaya. In the 1964 release Ziddi, co-starring Joy Mukherjee, she had a memorable dance sequence in ‘Raat ka sama’. As her first introduction to cinema was through dance, she used it to the best of her ability – later dazzling in ‘Aaja aaja’ (Teesri Manzil), ‘Parde nein rehne do’ (Shikar), the theatrical ‘Daiya yeh main kahan phasi’ (Caravan) and folksy ‘Bangle ke peeche’ (Samadhi).
Asha Parekh and Rajesh Khanna in Kati Patang. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
In that decade-long period that led up to Samadhi in 1972, Asha Parekh worked with most of the leading actors. With Dharmendra, she had Aaye Din Bahar Ke, Shikar, Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke, Mera Gaon Mera Desh and Samadhi. With Shashi Kapoor, she did Kanyadaan and Pyar Ka Mausam. With superstar Rajesh Khanna, she worked in Baharon Ke Sapne, Kati Patang and Aan Milo Sajna, where she’s remembered for her expressions in ‘Achcha to hum chalte hain’, written by Anand Bakshi like a dialogue between the lead pair. Playing a visually-impaired woman, who has lost her eyesight, her performance in Chirag opposite Sunil Dutt won accolades too. The two had acted together much earlier in Chhaya.
Joy Mukerjee and Asha Parekh in Ziddi. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Like other female actors of the 1960s, Asha got down to doing character roles. Her role in the 1976-film Udhar Ka Sindur and the 1978 drama Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, which also starred Nutan and Vinod Khanna, got her Filmfare nominations.
Though critics argued that she didn’t have stellar roles like Waheeda Rahman in Guide, Sharmila Tagore in Aradhana or Meena Kumari in Pakeezah, Asha Parekh definitely had that Midas touch.
The writer is a Mumbai-based freelance journalist.
