Asha Parekh was born on October 2, 1942 and is a veteran Bollywood actress, director, and producer. She was one of the top rated stars in Hindi films from 1959 to 1973.Asha Parekh was born into a middle-class Gujarati household in Santa Cruz, Mumbai to a Hindu father and Muslim mother, and her religious upbringing mainly revolved around worshiping Sai Baba. Her mother got her into Indian classical dancing at an early age and Asha excelled at dancing to the point where she performed at stage shows and private functions too.

Film Career of Asha Parekh
Asha started her film career as a child artiste with the screen name Baby Asha Parekh in the film Aasmaan, released in 1952. The revered film director Bimal Roy saw her dance at a stage function and decided to cast her at the tender age of twelve in Baap Beti (1954) but the movie flopped. She did a couple of more child roles; she left the film career to resume her schooling. At sixteen she decided to give a second try in films but was rejected from Vijay Bhatt`s Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959). Film producer Subodh Mukherjee and writer-director Nasir Hussain starred her as the heroine in Dil Deke Dekho (1959) opposite Shammi Kapoor which made her a star overnight. The film also led to a long and rewarding association with Hussain. He took Asha as his heroine in six more of his films, namely Teesri Manzil (1966), Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai (1961), Baharon Ke Sapne (1967), Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963), Pyar Ka Mausam (1969), and Caravan (1971).

Asha was also seen in a cameo role for Naseer Hussain`s film Manzil Manzil (1984). Director Raj Khosla gave her a serious image by depicting her in tragic roles in three of her favourite films, Do Badan (1966), Chirag (1969) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978). Director Shakti Samanta came upon with more dramatic roles for her in films like Pagla Kahin Ka (1970) and Kati Patang (1970). Many important directors starred her several times in their films, namely Mohan Segal, Vijay Anand and J.P. Dutta. Asha also acted in other regional languages like Kannada, Gujrati and Punjabi.

Asha began directing television programmes in the early 1990s and did her debut with a Gujarati serial Jyoti. She formed a production company called Akruti and produced serials like Baaje Payal, Palash ke Phool, Kora Kagaz and a comedy Dal Mein Kaala. Asha Parekh was the president of the Cine Artistes` Association from the year 1994 to 2000. Asha was selected as the first female chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification or the Censor Board of India. She held the post from 1998 until 2001. Later, she was appointed as the treasurer of the Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA) and one of its office bearers after that. She runs a dance academy Kara Bhavan and has a hospital named after her as Asha Parekh hospital because of her contributions towards it.

Awards and honours of Asha Parekh
Asha Parekh received the Filmfare Best Actress Award for Kati Patang. She also got the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. She also won the Kalakar Award in 2004, Ninth Annual Bollywood Award (2007) in Long Island, International Indian Film Academy Awards in 2006 and Pune International Film Festival Award (2007). The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) awarded her the Living Legend Award.

Filmography of Asha Parekh
Aasmaan (1952)
Dhobi Doctor (1954)
Baap Beti (1954)
Ayodhyapati (1956)
Aasha (1957)
Dil Deke Dekho (1959)
Hum Hindustani (1960)
Ghunghat (1960)
Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961)
Gharana (1961)
Apna Banake Dekho (1962)
Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963)
Meri Surat Teri Ankhen (1963)
Bin Badal Barsaat (1963)
Mere Sanam (1965)
Teesri Manzil (1966)
Love in Tokyo (1966)
Do Badan (1966)
Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966)
Upkar (1967)
Baharon Ke Sapne (1967)
Shikar (1968)
Kahin Aur Chal (1968)
Sajan (1969 film) (1969)
Pyar Ka Mausam (1969)
Mahal (1969)
Kanyadaan (film) (1969)
Chirag (1969)
Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke (1969)
Pagla Kahin Ka (1970)
Naya Raasta (1970)
Kati Patang (1970)
Aan Milo Sajna (1970)
Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971)
Jwala (1971) (as Ashaparekh)
Jawan Mohabbat (1971)
Caravan (1971)
Samadhi (1972)
Rakhi Aur Hathkadi (1972)
Heera (film) (1973)
Anjaan Raahen (1974)
Rani Aur Lalpari (1975)
Zakhmee (1975)
Adha Din Adhi Raat (1977)
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978)
Prem Vivah (1979)
Bin Phere Hum Tere (1979)
Sau Din Saas Ke (1980)
Manzil Manzil (1984)