Bollywood's golden girl and veteran actress, Asha Parekh's biography titled 'The Hit Girl' is all set to hit the stands next week. Writer Salim Khan's son, Salman Khan, who grew up knowing the actress has written one of the most moving and nostalgic forewords to the actress' biography.
Excerpts below:
On the enigma, Asha ParekhThey don’t make them like her anymore. Perhaps that is stating the obvious but my generation and the later ones have missed out on the great era of our movies when stories of innocence and grace ruled the screen, when boy-met-girl stories were wonderful, feel-good entertainers. No compromises, no need for self-publicity 24x7, no catering to a single screen or a multiplex audience.
In fact, Asha Parekh, Ashaji, represented the swinging era of the 1960s. An all-rounder, she was especially good at dance numbers, had a flair for comedy, emoted simply and effortlessly. Even if situations in the screenplay were incredible, she made them credible by never going over the top. She was the darling not only of the audience but also of film producers and directors who would rush to sign her on for a movie since she guaranteed box-office success.
On love stories back thenHappy endings, the kind which were ordained for Ashaji and her heroes are not possible any longer. It all depends on which hero or heroine is marketable when a sequel is launched.
Ashaji did not have to face such commercial necessities. What if a Kati Patang 2 was ever conceived? What if Rajesh Khanna or Ashaji were shown to be having differences? What if either of them was substituted by another star? Would the sequel match the romantic appeal of the original?
On Asha Parekh's decision to opt out of movies earlySometimes one wonders why Ashaji opted out of the movies prematurely. Maybe she was not satisfied with the roles offered to her of the clichéd mother figure who has to suffer and shed tears. Maybe she did not want to be a part of a system averse to writing strong roles for senior women artistes. Maybe she wished to quit at a point when there were no new challenges for her as an artiste. Whatever the specific reason may be, we have had to accept her decision to stay away from the studios. The decision could not have been an easy one to take but she has, depriving me of the chance to be with her in the same frame.
