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 and is said to have appeared in more hit films than any other actress.

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. She was an only child and thus the centre of her parents` lives. 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.

She 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). The film`s failure disheartened her and even though 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 and make her debut as a heroine, but she was rejected from Vijay Bhatt`s Goonj Uthi Shehnai (1959). The lead role was given to actress Ameeta and the filmmaker told Asha that she was not star material. The very next day, 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). Asha Parekh was best known for her glittering glamour, dancing skills and a rare combination of tomboyish attitude. Director Raj Khosla finally gave her a serious image by depicting her in tragic roles in three of her favorite 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). She was awarded the Filmfare Best Actress Award for Kati Patang. Many important directors starred her several times in their films, namely Mohan Segal, Vijay Anand and J.P. Dutta.

Asha also acted in her mother tongue Gujarati in three films at the height of her fame in Hindi films; the first one is the Akhand Saubhagyavati (1963), which became a blockbuster hit. She started 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 for which she received no money but too much of controversy for censoring films and also for not allowing clearance to Shekhar Kapur`s Elizabeth. Later, she was appointed as the treasurer of the Cine and Television Artists Association (CINTAA) and one of its office bearers later.

Asha retired from acting in 1995, pursued directing, and producing television serials in full-fledged. However, her acting could not be forgotten as she received 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.

Asha remained unmarried. It is known that she was unapproachable and thus it made people hesitate in asking her hand for marriage. There were rumors that she was romantically linked with her married director Nasir Hussain. Asha said that she had a longtime boyfriend but did not wish to strengthen that base with marriage.

Today, she is mainly occupied due to her dance academy Kara Bhavan, which has produced many skilled dancers and performers. The Asha Parekh Hospital in Santa Cruz, Mumbai has derived its name after her, because he contributed highly for this hospital. Her considerable wealth is spent lavishly on various social and charitable causes.

Filmography of Asha Parekh

Aasmaan (1952) (as Baby Asha Parekh)	Baharon Ke Sapne (1967) as Geeta	Udhar Ka Sindur (1976) as Shanta
Dhobi Doctor (1954)	Shikar (1968) as Kiran	Kulvadhu (1977) as Chandan
Baap Beti (1954)	Kahin Aur Chal (1968)	Adha Din Adhi Raat (1977)
Ayodhyapati (1956)	Sajan (1969 film) (1969) as Rajni	Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978) as Tulsi Chouhan
Ustad (1957) as Child Artiste	Pyar Ka Mausam (1969) as Seema Kumar	Prem Vivah (1979)
Aasha (1957) (uncredited)	Mahal (1969)	Bin Phere Hum Tere (1979) as Jamuna
Dil Deke Dekho (1959) as Neeta Narayan	Kanyadaan (film) (1969) as Rekha	Sau Din Saas Ke (1980) as Sheela
Hum Hindustani (1960) as Sudha	Chirag (1969) as Asha Chibber	Bulundi (1980)
Ghunghat (1960)	Aya Sawan Jhoom Ke (1969) as Aarti	Khel Muqaddar Ka (1981)
Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961) as Nisha R. Singh	Pagla Kahin Ka (1970)	Kaalia (1981) as Shanti
Gharana (1961)	Naya Raasta (1970) as Shallo	Pakhandi (1984)
Chhaya (film) (1961) as Sarita J. Choudhary	Kati Patang (1970) as Madhavi ("Madhu")	Dharam Aur Kanoon (1984)
Apna Banake Dekho (1962)	Kankan De Ole (1970) Bhai-Bhai (1970) .... Taaj	Manzil Manzil (1984) as Vijay`s mom
Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963) as Mona	Aan Milo Sajna (1970) as Varsha/Deepali	Lava (film) (1985) as Amar`s mom
Meri Surat Teri Ankhen (1963) as Kavita	Nadaan (1971) as Seema	Car Thief (film) (1986) as Mrs. Mehera
Bin Badal Barsaat (1963) as Sandhya Gupta	Mera Gaon Mera Desh (1971) as Anju	Sagar Sangam (1988)
Bharosa (1963)	Jwala (1971) (as Ashaparekh)	Main Tere Liye (1988) as Priti
Akhand Saubhagyavati (1963) as Usha	Jawan Mohabbat (1971) as Komal Mathur	Hamara Khandaan (1988) as Sharda Singh (Vishal`s mom)
Ziddi (1964 film) (1964) as Asha Singh	Caravan (1971) as Sunita/Soni	Hum To Chale Pardes (1988)
Mere Sanam (1965) as Neena Mehra	Samadhi (1972) as Champa	Hathyar (1989 film) (1989) as Avinash`s mother
Teesri Manzil (1966) as Sunita	Rakhi Aur Hathkadi (1972) as Janki/Kiran	Batwara (1989) as Bade Thakur`s wife
Love in Tokyo (1966) as Asha	Heera (film) (1973) as Asha	Professor Ki Padosan (1993) as Shobha (Prof`s Wife)
Do Badan (1966) as Asha	Anjaan Raahen (1974) as Geeta	Bhagyawan (1994) as Savitri
Aaye Din Bahar Ke (1966) as Kanchan	Rani Aur Lalpari (1975) as Kamla	Ghar Ki Izzat (1994) as Seeta
Upkar (1967) as Kavita	Zakhmee (1975) as Asha	Andolan (1995)