Amitabh and Parveen Babi.

Amitabh and Parveen Babi.

Amitabh Bacchan in his successful career provided superhit films in combination with a number of leading actresses of 70s and 80s including Jaya Bacchan, Rekha, Zeenat Aman, Hema Malini, etc. Parveen Babi also formed a very successful pair opposite Big B and most of their films celebrated golden jubilees.


They acted together for the first time in the film Majboor, in 1974, where Big B had a disease in his brain and got involved in a false case to help his needy family with monetary compensation on his death. When his doctor gave him the assurance that he will live, he unearthed the truth and identified the actual wrongdoer. Parveen Babi ably supported Big B in the film. Pran also acted very well in the film.

Both of them were successful in Dewaar. Although Big B had the major role, Parveen Babi accompanied him even knowing that he was involved in unlawful acts and was wanted by the police. Both of them died in the film, with Parveen Babi being killed by Madan Puri’s men and Big B being shot by Shashi Kapoor, his brother playing the role of the police officer in the film, during an encounter.


Both of them were sublime in the film Amar Akbar Anthony, where Big B played a seriocomic role. Parveen Babi played the role of the daughter of Jeevan who was kidnapped by Pran and brought up like a daughter. The songs picturised on Big B in the film including “my name is Anthony Gonzalves”, “humko tumse ho gaya hai pyar kya kare”, sung by Kishore and composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal became everlasting hits. Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna also did very well in the film.


Both Big B and Parveen Babi were very successful in the film Shaan. Although it was an action film with Shatrughun Sinha and Shashi Kapoor also complimenting Big B in their fight against Kulbhushan who played the role of Shakaal, Parveen Babi matched Big B in the romantic portion of the film. The songs picturised on them including “pyar karnewale”, “janu meri jaan” composed by RD Burman became very successful.

Both of them appeared in other hit films like Khuddar, Do Aur Do Paanch, Kalia, etc. These films should be preserved as the viewers still enjoy the performance of the legendary combination even today.

By: CR Chatterji.

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Parveen Babi – the stylish actress of bollywood.

Parveen Babi – the stylish actress of bollywood.

Parveen Babi had kept her mark in stylish roles during 70s and 80s. She was impressive in Majboor, opposite Big B, in 1974, where Big B had thought he had brain tumour, and when he came to know that there was no serious concern about it he investigated a criminal case and became successful in his attempt. Parveen Babi acted in a quite role in Deewar, where Big B was the elder brother and a smuggler and was killed by his younger brother, a police officer, played by Shashi Kapoor at the end of the film.

From that time, viewers accepted Parveen Babi, opposite Big B, and she complimented his aggressive style with her soft style of acting. In Shaan, in 1980, she was sublime in the comedy sequences opposite Big B, and also performed well in the songs “pyar karnewale”, “janu meri jaan”, etc.


Even in Amar Akbar Anthony, in 1977, she played the role of the daughter of Jeevan who was brought by Pran, and she knew him to be her father. She was tried to be kidnapped at different times in the film. She gave good lips opposite Big B, in the song “kab tak chupaye rakkha” in the film. She also acted in serio-comic films like Rang –birangi, where Amol Palekar was her husband, and as he was having an affair with his receptionist, she had create a drama with Farooq Sheikh to make him realise his sin. The film was full of comedy sequences, and Parveen Babi adjusted herself to the requirement of the film.

In the 80s, she also acted opposite other leading stars like Vinod Khanna, in Burning Train. Vinod Khanna was obsessed with his train, and that led to disputes in the family which was solved after the burning train reached the destination and the passengers reached their destination. She also acted opposite Shashi Kapoor in Suhaag, where he was a police officer who became blind in a struggle with the criminal in the film played by Amzad Khan.


Her other hit films include Khuddar, Do Aur Do Paanch, etc. In the mid-80s she faded away from the film arena. She had died few years back and viewers do agree that she could have contributed a lot in character roles if she continued with acting.