Begum Para passes away
surhall
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2008-12-12
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The reigning vamp of the 1950s was last seen playing Sonam's grandma
in Saawariya
Bollywood actor Ayub Khan's mother and the reigning vamp of the
1950's, Begum Para passed away in her sleep yesterday. She was last
seen as Sonam Kapoor's grandmother in Bhansali's Saawariya which
released last year.
In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, last year, she had said, "I'm 80
now. It was a great experience working after so long. Although I must
admit, I felt a bit anxious about facing the camera after so many
years."
Begum Para married Dilip Kumar's brother Nasir Khan in 1958 and quit
acting. She now lived with her daughter and grandchildren in Versova.
Known for being bold in her films, Begum had once said, "I have
millions of memories from those days. I didn't smoke as I never liked
it. But I did drink even when it was considered taboo. I used to hold
a glass of whisky openly, unlike other actresses who mixed whisky in
colas and pretended that they were teetotalers."
Talking about her contemporaries, she had said, "I miss my friends
Nargis, Geeta Bali, Nadira, Shyama and Nilofer. We used to often meet
and paint the town red. I'm also getting old now so telephone is the
only way to communicate."
When her daughter-in-law Niharika had to play a yesteryear heroine in
Khoya Khoya Chand, she had given her some valuable styling inputs. "I
couldn't give Niharika my own examples as I was not like the 'good'
actresses. I always played negative, bold characters - would wear
backless blouses, i those times it was quite bold," she had said.
Recalling her Saawariya experience, she had told Mumbai Mirror in an
interview, "The funniest thing while shooting for Saawariya was when
Bhansali made me sing Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya from Mughal-e-
Azam...I'm truly besura (Out of tune)."
Her co-actor Shammi Kapoor who was completely unaware of the news was
quite shocked on hearing. He said, "I'm not aware of this. It's very
sad to hear about her demise. She was one of the old stock, the real
old generation who've really contributed immensely to cinema. She was
always a great help with her husband, Nasir. I remember we had gone to
Shillong together back in 1952 for a cricket match. She was very
boisterous and full of life."
Begum Para was seen in films like Do Mastane, Aadmi, Shahzada, Lutera,
Naya Ghar, Laila Majnu, Mehrabani, Zanjeer, Sohni Mahiwal, Shalimar
and so on.
dhall
jyotiprakasguha
related to actress Pratima dsgupta.
Jyoti Prakash Guha
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wrote:
May God rest her soul in peace...
-waheed
Ketan
surhall says...
For archival purposes:
Bhansali shattered by Begum Para's death
Subhash K. Jha
Sunday, December 14, 2008 (Mumbai)
Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who worked with yesteryears glamour girl Begum
Para in Saawariya, is deeply saddened by her death and wonders how he will make
Heera Mandi without her.
"I wanted so much to work with her again. I wanted to cast her again after
Saawariya. Moin Beg, who has written Heera Mandi, told me this project would be
incomplete without Para aunty. I agreed completely. In fact, I had the perfect
role for her in Heera Mandi. Now I wonder how I'll make the film without her,"
said Bhansali.
Bhansali describes the actress, who passed away Tuesday, as "mercurial". The
actress married Nasir Khan, Dilip Kumar's brother, in 1958 and quit acting. Her
last film was Kar Bala with Bhagwan Dada that came in 1956. Almost more than
fifty years later she made a comeback with Bhansali's Saawariya.
"She was indeed Begum Para," said Bhansali whose association with Begum Para
went back to his childhood.
"I remember my father would mention her very prominently among the beauties he
admired from the 1950s. I had never seen her personally on screen. As a child I
wasn't much of a moviegoer. For me, she was a myth, a beauty men were fascinated
by."
Bhansali says that when he was finalising the cast of Saawariya, writer Moin
Beg, a friend of Begum Para, suggested her name. She played Sonam Kapoor's
grandmother in the film.
"When we thought of that particular character in Saawariya, both my casting
director Amita Sehgal and Moin Beg suggested Begum Para's name. The minute I
heard her name, I remembered my father and I jumped at the name. Over the years
I was intrigued by her," Bhansali said.
Recalling his first meeting with the legendary actress, he said: "Para aunty was
immobile. She couldn't move out of bed. But she was so radiant and full of live.
She had a sparkle in her eye. Her soul had not aged with time. She tied a pony
tail high on her head and it would swing as she spoke animatedly.
"Moin and she talked about the next party, kebabs and drinks. She celebrated
life even if she couldn't move, but she kept me entertained with her wacky
anecdotes about all and sundry in the industry. Then she told me, 'The person
you see over here in this bed is not Begum Para. Go over there and look at that
picture.' And she pointed me to a picture on the wall where she posed in her
heyday in a bathing costume.
"Do you know she went to movies in theatres regularly on her wheelchair. That
she had a wonderful family that helped keep her spirits high till the end. Her
daughter Lubna, son (actor) Ayub Khan and daughter-in-law Niharika were
constantly joking and keeping her spirits high."
The director recalls her excitement when she came for the shooting.
"She loved putting on the makeup after so many years. If I suggested a red
lipstick, she immediately went for it. She loved kajal, clothes... She was so
happy to shoot at Mehboob studios where so many her memories were still alive.
It was very difficult for her to come from her van to the sets. But she'd shoot
the whole day without a word of complaint.
"Salman and she would be cracking up with mutual laughter the whole day. She got
along with everybody. There was no crankiness because of age or bitterness for
glory gone. It's very important not to get bitter in life. And I learnt that
from Begum Para."
Bhansali says that the actress treated the cast and crew of his film with mutton
biryani.
"She'd send biryani for all of us. The biryani from her house was outstanding.
One day she brought mutton biryani to the sets and I regretfully turned it down
because I don't eat mutton. Many months later after the shooting was over one
day my doorbell rang. It was a box of chicken biryani from her.
"She taught me to smile through life's adversities. Maybe she was nervous for
the first shot, but after that she was fine. Ayub and Niharika came to see her
first shot. She smoked the hookah with such aplomb. She was really stylish. She
spoke English fluently. When I saw her on the screen, I realised her aura was
much larger than what I thought."
Bhansali has one regret.
"Just a month ago I asked Moin about Para Aunty. I wanted to meet her, but it
never happened. What a challenge it was for her to come back to movies after so
many years and still remember her lines. After the first shot, she just flowed.
How sad that her performance was not recognised by any awards committee in
India. In Hollywood, Begun Para's performance in Saawariya would've been toasted
for months."