"She never truly got chance to say her piece": Zeenat Aman remembers Parveen Babi on her birth anniversary

Mumbai: Veteran actor Zeenat Aman penned down a heartfelt note for her co-star and late actor Parveen Babi on her birth anniversary.

Zeenat and Parveen were often compared for their similar looks, the 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' actor took to Instagram and shared the stills from the movies 'Ashanti' and 'Mahaan' along with a note.

Zeenat wrote, "I'd like to remember and honour Parveen today, on her birthday. 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"."

She added, "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."
Zeenat also talked about how Parveen battled with mental health.

She continued, "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. She was intelligent and hardworking and creative. She loved reading, and I remember her curled up with a book in between shots on set. 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."
As soon as the post was uploaded, the members from the film industry dropped their comments.
Kajol wrote, "So true."

Chitrangda Singh wrote, "so beautiful how you word your memory of her."
Farhan Akhtar and Janhvi Kapoor reacted with heart emojis.
The Bollywood actress was born on April 4, 1949 and passed away on January 20, 2005. She was found dead on January 22, 2005, in her flat in Mumbai.

She made her film debut with the film 'Charitra' (1973), opposite cricketer Salim Durani. The film did not do well on the box office, but Parveen was noticed and was snapped up for several more films.
Her first major hit was 'Majboor' (1974), opposite Amitabh Bachchan. Along with Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi helped change the image of the Indian film heroine. She was the first Bollywood star to appear on the front page of Time in July 1976.
Throughout her career, she was considered as a glamorous and fashion icon. (ANI)