Asha Parekh: Bollywood’s ‘jubilee’ girl whose name was enough to sell films; was Dharmendra, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor’s ‘lucky mascot’

Kareena Kapoor Khan recently complained of people appreciating only her portrayal of ‘Poo’ and ‘Geet’ when she has also been equally good as ‘Chameli’ and ‘Dolly Mishra’ (Omkara). Well, before Kareena, there was Asha Parekh. The yesteryear diva was also associated with adjectives like effervescent, fashionista, cheerful, dancer and glamour girl. A leading lady who could give her leading man a run for his money, but only in the typical romantic dramas (Teesri Manzil, Kati Patang, Dil Deke Dekho, Love In Tokyo). She struggled a lot to graduate from her several turns as a conventional Bollywood heroine and become one of the most sought after leading ladies of the 1960s with unconventional roles.

In her early roles as the love interest of the leading man, Parekh inevitably chewed more scenery and had more eyes riveted on her than on the superstar she was cast opposite, whether it was Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand, Dharmendra or Rajesh Khanna. Her Bollywood debut Dil Deke Dekho (1959) made Parekh a marquee star. Anyone who has watched her swiftly getting into the character of rich heiress, Neeta, singing ‘Bade Hai Dil Ke Kale, Yahi Neeli Si Aankhonwale’ to Shammi Kapoor, would wonder what Hindi cinema would have missed had late legendary filmmaker Bimal Roy not spotted this gem at her school’s annual day and cast her as a child actor in his film Maa (1952) and then in Baap Beti in 1954. She was paid Rs 100 for the movie.

Dil Deke Dekho was just the beginning of her journey to becoming the ‘Sweetheart of the Swinging 60s’. But she had to plead with Sashadhar Mukherjee to stay Asha Parekh and not become Asha Pari, a name suggested for her by Dilip Kumar. “He (Mukherjee) said he would think about it and went with the name I was born with. Or else I would be known as Asha Pari today. Imagine a fairy and me?” the actor wrote in her autobiography, The Hit Girl, co-written by film critic Khalid Mohamed.

Soon after Dil Deke Dekho, Parekh romanced Sunil Dutt in Hum Hindustan (1960) which did average business at the box office and in the same year, she delivered a hit with Ramanand Sagar’s Ghunghat, a film too heavy with emotions for an 18-year-old to fathom. Hence, she would giggle at moments when Sagar would be in tears during the shots. During the shoot of one such scene, Sagar lost his cool and yelled at Parekh for her immaturity.

“Even after 30 retakes, I could not stop giggling. That was the first and last yelling I got before the camera. ‘What’s the matter with you, silly girl?’ Sagar saab exploded, ‘If I can cry, why can’t you? Do you understand the dialogue?’ I did, but what could I say? Obviously, I did not have the depth of his feelings. On being berated I had to control myself. I buried my face in the palms of my hand, thought of as many sad things as I possibly could, straightened up and delivered the dialogue to his satisfaction,” Asha shared in her book.

“Even after 30 retakes, I could not stop giggling. That was the first and last yelling I got before the camera. ‘What’s the matter with you, silly girl?’ Sagar saab exploded, ‘If I can cry, why can’t you? Do you understand the dialogue?’ I did, but what could I say? Obviously, I did not have the depth of his feelings. On being berated I had to control myself. I buried my face in the palms of my hand, thought of as many sad things as I possibly could, straightened up and delivered the dialogue to his satisfaction,” Asha shared in her book.

But it was never easy for the lively, cheerful Parekh to be broody in life, both on and off-screen. Hence, she balanced with some lighthearted entertainers (Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon, Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, Aan Milo Sajna, Love in Tokyo) that can cheer you up on a dull day. And, on days when her role demanded her to be broody, but she couldn’t control her giggles, she would retire to her makeup room, laugh her heart out and then return with a poker face.

Some of this carefree, tomboyish attitude came from being the only child of Bachubhai Parekh and Sudha (Salma Parekh). As a kid, she didn’t play with dolls but had a gang of boys with whom she would indulge in street games. “I was a restless tomboy. Dad would fondly laugh at my antics. I was papa’s darling. If I wanted chocolate bars or mango, he would fetch them from bazaar (market) in less than five minutes,” Parekhh shared, while adding that her mother was the exact opposite and she was scared of her. But she also credited her mother for keeping her grounded and disciplined.

In an interview with Pinkvilla, Parekh said, “She was the power behind me. Whatever I achieved is because of her. At home, I was never treated like a star. If I happened to do something wrong, she’d put me down. She was strict. I had to behave like a normal person at home. It kept me totally rooted.” Even the money matter of the actor was handled by her mother.

After a couple of years and four consecutive superhits, Parekh’s fees rose from Rs 11,000 to Rs 75,000 in the early 60s. She got the moniker of the ‘Hit Girl’. She became a regular in Hussain’s films, the most prominent ones being Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963) and Teesri Manzil (1966). Between 1964 and 1967, Parekh worked with almost every top filmmaker and actor in the industry and delivered hits in Ziddi (1964), Mere Sanam (1965), Love In Tokyo (1966), Aaye Din Bahaar Ke (1966) and Upkar (1967).

“There was a time when the directors would sign me first and then go to the hero. There was a time when on my name a film used to be sold,” the actor recalled during an interaction with The Hindu. Her name being on a movie poster meant the audience was in for some delightful song and dance sequences. How can one not fall in love with those sparkling eyes as they sang ‘Jaaiye aap kahan jayenge’ in Mere Sanam or with the bright smile in ‘Jiyaa O Jiyaa O Jiyaa Kuch Bol Do’ (Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai) or the lovely dance moves in ‘Sayonara sayonara’ (Love In Tokyo). She became a ‘lucky mascot’ for all the heroes and filmmakers, and thus the highest-paid actor of her time. Her training in Indian classical dance forms gave her an edge over her contemporaries. Parekh also believed, “I danced therefore I was. Without dance, I would not have been an actress.”