Asha Parekh

Some Lesser Known Facts About Asha Parekh

• She was born in a middle-class Gujarati Jain family in Mumbai.

• Her father was from Paldi near Pirana Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

• Her father was a Jain while her mother was a Muslim.

• She is an ardent follower of Sai Baba.

• Being the only child of her parents, she was the pivot of her parents’ lives.

• Her mother, Sudha Parekh, enrolled her in classical dance classes at an early age.

• She started performing stage shows at an early age.

• She started her film career as a child artist with the 1952 film ‘Aasmaan’ in which her screen name was Baby Asha Parekh.

• At a stage function, Bimal Roy saw her dance and cast her at the age of twelve in the 1954 film ‘Baap Beti.’

• After doing a couple of child roles, she quit acting to resume her schooling.

• At the age of 16, she tried to make her debut as a heroine. However; she was rejected by Vijay Bhatt in his 1959 film ‘Goonj Uthi Shehnai,’ citing she was not a star material. Precisely 8 days later, Nasir Hussain cast her in his film ‘Dil Deke Dekho’ opposite Shammi Kapoor, which made her a huge star.

• She was cast by Nasir Hussain in six more of his films.

• She was also associated with Nasir Hussain as a distributor of his films for 21 years.

• She became a symbol of glamor girl, excellent dancer, and tomboy in most of her films. However, she also did serious roles in 3 of her favourite films- ‘Do Badan’ (1966), ‘Chirag’ (1969), and ‘Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki’ (1978).

• She did 3 Gujarati Language films including ‘Akhand Saubhagyavati’ (1963), which became a huge hit.

• She also acted in a few Punjabi Language films including ‘Kankan De Ohle’ (1971) opposite Dharmendra and the hit Kannada film- Sharavegada Saradara (1989).

• After playing the lead roles in the films, she started playing the supporting roles of Bhabhi (sister-in-law) and Mother. However; she described it as the ‘awkward phase’ of her career.

• She founded a production company called ‘Akruti’ and produced serials like ‘Baaje Payal,’ Palash Ke Phool,’ ‘Kora Kagaz,’ and a comedy serial ‘Daal Me Kaala.’

• From 1994 to 2000, she remained President of the Cine Artists’ Association.

• In 2008, she judged a Reality Show ‘Tyohaar Dhamaaka on the 9X Channel.

• She remained unmarried throughout her life. However; in an interview, she revealed that she had a longtime boyfriend but declined to explain the relationship.

• After her mother’s death, Asha sold her bungalow and shifted into a smaller house to take care of her ailing father who passed away later.

• At present, she concentrates on her dance academy called ‘Kara Bhavan’ and the Asha Parekh Hospital (named in her honour) in Santa Cruz, Mumbai.

• In 2017, her autobiography titled ‘The Hit Girl’ (co-written by Khalid Mohammed) was released by Salman Khan.