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Last Updated: April 19, 2025, 15:11 IST
Shabana Azmi reflects on the mental health challenges faced by her late co-star Parveen Babi, sharing haunting memories from film sets that highlighted Babi’s troubling behavior.
Veteran actress Shabana Azmi has opened up about her experiences with Parveen Babi, a prominent and complex figure in Bollywood during the 1970s and 80s. Azmi’s reflections provide a rare insight into the turbulent life of a star who climbed to fame rapidly only to retreat into seclusion later on.
In a revealing discussion on Filmfare’s YouTube platform, Azmi recounted her observations of Babi’s mental health decline while filming Jwalamukhi, directed by Prakash Mehra. “I witnessed Parveen Babi’s unraveling firsthand,” she expressed with deep emotion. “On set, she suddenly looked up at the chandelier and screamed, ‘This chandelier is going to fall on me.’”
During the production of Ashanti, Azmi noted other disquieting signs, mentioning that Babi would hardly eat and once claimed, “I’m bursting,” after consuming just two grapes. “There were moments where you could sense that something was off,” she recalled.
In an unsettling memory, Shabana described an incident where she observed Parveen silently standing behind Zeenat Aman during a makeup session, staring in a peculiar manner. “There were clear but subtle signals that indicated she was in distress,” Azmi explained.
Despite being part of a glamorous industry, discussions regarding mental health were virtually non-existent during that era. Azmi reflected on how those close to Babi were often oblivious to the hardships she faced. “We never addressed it. She often spoke about abstract concepts and literature. She was a significant star yet never acted like one. Her pursuit of knowledge seemed challenging for her, and her struggles were evident.”
Parveen Babi, who debuted in 1973’s Charitra, became a trailblazer and embodied the modern Indian woman onscreen. However, under the façade of confidence was a life marked by pain and solitude. Diagnosed posthumously with paranoid schizophrenia, the severity of her condition went largely unnoticed during her lifetime.
Both actresses started their careers in the same year—Azmi with Ankur and Babi with Charitra—but took diverging paths. While Azmi thrived in parallel cinema and social activism, Parveen became a celebrated icon, even gracing the cover of Time magazine in 1976. However, the fame did not shield her from the inner turmoil that progressively overtook her.
Now, Azmi is featured in Netflix’s Dabba Cartel alongside an impressive cast, including Jyothika, Nimisha Sajayan, Shalini Pandey, Anjali Anand, and Gajraj Rao. She remains a significant figure in Indian cinema, acclaimed not only for her performances but also for her compassion and advocacy for various causes.
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