Veteran actress Zeenat Aman remembered late actress Parveen Babi on her birth anniversary on April 4. She shared throwback pictures with Parveen Babi and penned a heartfelt note on Instagram.
Zeenat Aman, who was her contemporary in the 1970s and 1980s, also revealed that she was recently approached as 'Parveen ma'am' in Dubai as they had an uncanny resemblance. Sharing the anecdote, the 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' actress wrote, "Parveen was gorgeous, glamorous and talented. Back in the 70s, we wore our hair in a similar manner and enjoyed Western fashion. Though neither of us saw it, we were told we had an uncanny resemblance. It must have been true, because as recently as last year I was approached in Dubai as 'Parveen ma’am'."
Zeenat Aman pens emotional note on Parveen Babi's birth anniversary
"Naturally the media at the time spun tales of competition and rivalry between us, but in reality we were always warm towards each other. Not best friends, but contemporaries, colleagues and well wishers. We worked together on Ashanti and Mahaan," she added.
Zeenat Aman also wrote that Parveen Babi 'never truly got the chance to say her piece'. She also stated that the media always remembered her for her controversies, love affairs and tragic death and added that she was much more than all those things.
Recalling the 'Deewar' actress' struggle with health issues, she further wrote, "Parveen’s struggle with mental health illness came at a time when the country was still so insensitive and ignorant on these matters. After her death, I often ruminated on how she was remembered. The tabloids focused on her romantic relationships and 'episodes', but 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 called her 'intelligent', 'hardworking' and 'creative'. She also revealed that the late actress loved reading, even during the shoot on the sets.
"She achieved incredible success as an actor, even featuring on the cover of Time magazine. Later, she took up various creative pursuits, embarked on a spiritual journey, and started designing interiors. We stayed in touch on and off for years, before ultimately drifting apart. Parveen was remarkable in many ways, and I hope she will be remembered for the effervescent person she was," Zeenat Aman concluded her post.
Celebs react to Zeenat Aman's post for Parveen Babi
Soon after the actress shared the pictures, Kajol commented, "So true." Chitrangda Singh wrote, "so beautiful how you word your memory of her❤️"
Sophie Choudry commented, "Always loved you both. Must have seen Ashanti hundreds of times just for the both of you. True Divas❤️ This is beautifully and thoughtfully written as only you can."
On the other hand, Farhan Akhtar, Janhvi Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor among others, dropped red heart emojis in the comments section.
Parveen Babi's death
Parveen Babi was found dead at her Mumbai residence in January 2005 after her neighbours noticed that she had not collected the newspaper and groceries from her door for a long time. She was found to have a gangrene on her left foot, a complication of her diabetic condition.
According to several media reports, her post-mortem reports also stated that no traces of food were found in her stomach, suggesting that she had probably died of starvation.
Parveen Babi marked her debut with the 1973 film 'Charitra' and became an overnight sensation. She went on to deliver back-to-back hits over the years with 'Deewaar' (1975), 'Amar Akbar Anthony' (1977), 'Suhaag' (1979), 'Kaala Patthar' (1979), 'The Burning Train' (1980), 'Shaan' (1980), 'Kaalia' (1981), and 'Namak Halaal' (1982) among others.
