Parveen Babi life and biography

Parveen Babi was an Indian actress, who is most remembered for her glamorous roles alongside top heroes of the 1970s and early 1980s in blockbusters like Deewar, Namak Halaal, Amar Akbar Anthony and Shaan.
Parveen was born in Junagadh, Gujarat in a Muslim family. She did her early schooling in Aurangabad and later attended St. Xavier's College, Ahmedabad. Her father Vali Mohammed Babi, was an administrator with the Nawab of Junagadh. Parveen was born fourteen years after the marriage of her parents and was an only child. She lost her father at the age of seven.
Parveen never married but had relationships with many married men; director Mahesh Bhatt, actors Kabir Bedi, and Danny Denzongpa. She was also strongly rumoured to have had an affair with her co-star of many films, Amitabh Bachchan. Bhatt later wrote and directed Arth (1982), a semi-autobiographical film about his relationship with Babi, and wrote and produced Woh Lamhe (2006) based on actual facts about his relationship with her.
Parveen's modelling career began in 1972 and was quickly followed by her film debut with the film Charitra (1973) opposite cricketer Salim Durrani. The film was a resounding flop 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 Indian actress to have been featured on TIME magazine's cover, in July 1976, much to the consternation of her contemporaries.
Parveen was considered to be one of the most successful actresses of her era. She appeared opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Deewaar (1975) Amar Akbar Anthony (1977), Shaan (1980), Kaalia (1981), and Khud-daar (1982). She also appeared in other hit films such as Suhaag (1979 film) (1979), Kaala Patthar (1979), Namak Halaal (1982), Meri Aawaaz Suno (1981) and The Burning Train (1980). She appeared in offbeat films like Vinod Pande's Yeh Nazdeekiyan (1982), playing the role of the "other woman" opposite Marc Zuber.
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After rumours about Babi suffering from schizophrenia began making rounds, she sought mental solace through alternative contemporary spirituality. She followed Osho for a few years and later became involved with the teachings of U.G. Krishnamurti in New York. She returned to Mumbai in 1992 where she was unrecognizable as her former self after having put on a considerable amount of weight. She accused many foreign dignitaries including Bill Clinton and her former co-star, Amitabh Bachchan, of conspiring to kill her but her petition in court was dismissed for lack of evidence. In 2002, she again hit the headlines when she filed an affidavit in the special court hearing the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, claiming that she had gathered clinching evidence against actor Sanjay Dutt showing his involvement in the case, but she did not turn up in court after being summoned saying that she was afraid of being killed.
She was found dead in her Mumbai apartment on 22 January 2005 after her residential society secretary alerted the police that she had not collected milk and newspapers from her doorstep for three days. The police suspected that she may have been dead up to 72 hours before her body was found. The cause of her death was not immediately known. She was found to have gangrene of the foot as a complication of her diabetic condition. The police ruled out any foul play and it was determined she had died from what appeared to be complications from diabetes.
Babi was buried next to her mother at Santa Cruz, Mumbai on 23 January 2005.

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