Asha Parekh opens up on actresses of her generation who were fond of each other

Asha Parekh opens up on actresses of her generation who were fond of each other

Reflecting over Kangana Ranaut’s observation that there cannot be any real friendships in the film industry, Asha Parekh opens up on actresses of their generation who were genuinely fond of one another.

“Waheeda Rehman, Nanda, Sadhana, Vyjayanthimala, Helen and she has been part of the same group for decades.
Ofcourse, as of now the group has shrunk. Some of these friends are no more with us, but we continue to value our association.

Asha who turned 81 on October 2, added that there was never a sense of rivalry among the actresses of yore.

“We were not competitive because the roles were written especially for us. What was ours could not be snatched away.

“When a producer wanted Waheedaji or Vyjayanthimalaji or Sadhanaji, they went to them. When they wanted her, they came to her. Our roles were not interchangeable.

Asha further went on to add that her friendship with her colleagues outlasted their professional competitiveness.

When they met socially, they didn’t discuss one another’s roles. There were no games of one-upmanship among us.
We were comfortable in our space. When Waheeda’s film was a hit, we all celebrated.
We did the same when one of her films proved success.

The actress, who featured in as many as 20 silver and golden jubilee hits in the midst of 1960s and 1970s, adds that she never thought of it as power. Films were lapped up to her, they were made and released.

We never realised when the films got made. Many of them like Dil Deke Dekho, Teesri Manzil, Phir Wohi Dil Laaya Hoon, Mere Sanam, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Caravan and Kati Patang were memorable for her, not because they were hits, but because we had so much fun shooting them.

Asha was one of the highest paid actresses of her time and yet, she was paid less than what her co-stars, some of them far less successful than she, got.

Reflecting over the irony, she says, she never thought about it. She did get paid less than male actors. It was wrong, but we actresses accepted it as a male-dominated industry.

As of now Asha is happy to see actresses coming into their own. She is really like Deepika Padukone and Vidya Balan. She loved Kangana Ranaut in Queen. She hopes these actresses are paid what they deserve.

News Edit K.V.Raman