A book on the life of Parveen Babi has the hit the shelves this Friday. Titled Parveen Babi: A Life, the book aims to shed light on her professional highs and lows, battle with mental health and unknown facets of her personal life. The biography penned by journalist Karishma Upadhyay has been published by Hachette India.
The book traces the journey of Parveen, a shy, ambitious girl from an aristocratic family in Junagadh, Gujarat, to a life of merciless scrutiny that came with being in the spotlight. “Exploring with depth and sensitivity the myriad facets of the actress’s life, Karishma lays bare little-known details about Parveen’s doomed romances… Her obsession with the spiritual guide who advised her to quit films, the tumultuous years of battling mental illness and her tragic, untimely demise,” a statement from the publishing house read.
Parveen was one of the biggest stars of the 70s, featuring in films like Deewaar, Shaan, Kaalia and Amar Akbar Anthony. She died in 2005. Karishma said when she was offered to write the book three years ago, she was most intrigued by Parveen’s rollercoaster career.
Here is what the author has to say about the book, “The thing that most fascinated me was the fact that she quit the industry twice at the peak of her career. And each time that she returned, she made it back to the top of the pile. Then, there was her battle with mental illness. “Even today there is so much stigma attached to mental health issues. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like for her to deal with her mind slowly unravelling, leave aside the added pressures of being in the limelight.”
“I’ve also spoken to those with whom she was romantically involved Danny Denzongpa, Kabir Bedi and Mahesh Bhatt. I was very conscious of the fact that every story has two sides and Parveen isn’t here to tell hers, so every story and facts mentioned in the book have been double and tripled checked with different people from her life. “I have also relied on a decade-plus worth of her interviews to stay as true to her story as I could. I am hoping this book rescues Parveen’s legacy from the bondage of myth and gossip,” Karishma further added.
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