Sharjah: One of Bollywood’s earliest glamour dolls, Asha Parekh, feels Bollywood has lost touch with the Indian culture and is becoming increasingly Westernised.
Addressing a packed house at the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) on Friday, the ‘Tesri Manzil’ actress rued the growing trend of Westernisation in the Indian film industry.
“I see that the modern Indian movies are becoming increasingly Westernised. We have lost touch with our culture and identity. I have seen that in many movies, even in wedding scenes we see women wearing gowns rather than ghagras (traditional wedding dress). That is the biggest change I see between the movies of my time and now,” said Parekh, who was one of the most sought after leading ladies in Mumbai for three decades, from the 50s to the 70s.
Parekh also rued the unrelenting media glare the modern actors go through, unlike her time in Bollywood when actors had a relatively more private life.
“I see that there is no privacy for the actors these days. I feel bad for the stars who have to go through constant media scrutiny, which was not the case with us. Things were so laid back then. Now things are moving very fast, twitter and social media keep stars in continuous spotlight,” she added.
In town to promote her autobiography ‘The Hit Girl,’ which traces her journey from a child artiste in a 1952 movies ‘Maa’ through her rise as Bollywood’s leading lady, reminiscing some never-before-shared experiences and anecdotes, offering behind-the-scene glimpses of what is popular known as the golden era of Bollywood.
Taking an apparent dig at actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who also recently came up with a memoir ‘An Ordinary Life,’ Parekh said that biographies should not be written after just a few years in the industry.
“A lot of actors who are relatively new in the industry are coming up with biographies. I personally feel memoirs should be written after a certain age. Writing after only a few years in the industry is not correct. You need to have spent at least a couple of decades as an actor, that way you will have a lot of anecdotes to share, you will have rich experience to share with your readers and fans,” said Parekh.
Co-authored by Bollywood film critic and director, Khalid Mohammad, ‘The Hit Girl’ reveals some candid details about Parekh’s life in the industry, including her relationship with acclaimed director Nasir Hussain, who introduced her as a heroine in ‘Dil Deke Dekho’ and then went on to cast her in six other films, all hugely successful.
Confirming the rumours about her relationship with Hussain, she said: “Nasir was a special person. I was attached to him and loved him. We shared a special bond. He was the one who introduced me and then we worked together on several movies and he also helped me become a film distributor.”
So after the biography, is a biopic the next natural step?
She wondered if anyone would be interested in making a biopic about her. However, she feels Alia Bhatt would be best suited to play her character, if a biopic is made on her.
Speaking about her experiences over the past seven decades, she said ‘Chirag,’ in which she played a blind girl was her most challenging role.
“Chirag is the most challenging film I have done till date. It required a lot research and training for me to play a blind girl. I had to observe and learn how blind people go about their lives and imitate them, it was difficult, but I pulled it off,” said Parekh, adding that Raj Khosla’s ‘Do Badan’ also holds a special place in her heart.
“’Do Badan’ was the movie that proved I could act. Before that I was mostly playing glamour doll roles, this movie gave a new dimension to my acting,” she added.
The septuagenarian actor, who also known for her philanthropy, said she has no plans for a comeback.
“I don’t find any interesting roles anymore. I have done a lot of films, distribution, worked as a director, I have worked very hard and I have thoroughly enjoyed my life. I feel it’s time to relax now. So, no comeback plans,” she said, thanking her fans and well-wishers for all the love and affection showered on her.
