Parveen Babi was one of the biggest style icons of bollywood during the 1970s and 1980s. She was known for her bold screen presence, Western fashion choices and glamorous image.
She redefined the modern Bollywood heroine at a time when the industry was still rooted in traditional portrayals of women. However, behind her success was a life surrounded by loneliness, tragedies and emotional struggles.
Parveen Babi Was An Overnight Star
Parveen Babi made her Bollywood debut with Charitra and quickly rose to fame. She became one of the highest-paid actresses of her time. She shared screen space alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor and Dharmendra, among other stars. Her popular movies include- Amar Akbar Anthony, Namak Halaal and Shaan.
Personal Struggles Of Parveen Babi
If the reports are to be believed, Parveen Babi had several high-profile relationships. She was also in a relationship with filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. Over the years, she started to isolate herself from the industry and also claimed that the people in film industry tried to harm her. What came as a shock to Babi’s fans was when she suddenly disappeared from Bollywood and that too at the peak of her career.
Mahesh Bhatt On Parveen Babi’s personal struggles
In multiple interviews over the years, Mahesh Bhatt spoke openly about Parveen Babi’s struggles and their relationship. He once recalled finding the actress in an extremely fearful state, believing that someone was trying to kill her. Bhatt later said that this phase changed his understanding of mental health and emotional trauma forever.
In a conversation with BBC News Hindi, the filmmaker said, “I saw her go through her collapse. I went through it with her. And when you see someone breaking down in front of you… I saw her leave in the morning for her shoot with her make-up on but when I came back in the evening, she was shivering and sitting in a corner like an animal. She kept saying ‘someone is going to kill me.’ She was suffering from schizophrenia. I tried a lot to help her out but such kind of diseases take a toll. When that relationship collapsed, the relationship ended on a painful note.”
Parveen Babi’s Final Years
Parveen Babi spent much of her later life away from the public eye. She lived alone in Mumbai and remained disconnected from the film industry. In January 2005, the actress was found dead at her apartment at the age of 50.
Even decades later, Parveen Babi continues to be remembered as one of Bollywood’s most stylish and influential actresses – but also as a tragic figure whose personal pain remained hidden behind fame and glamour.