How many films inspired by the life of Parveen Babi are too many films? Bollywood doesn’t seem to know!
Parveen Babi was a true sensation in the 70s and 80s who redefined glamour and modernity in Indian cinema. But behind her dazzling facade, she was struggling with severe mental health issues and passed away in 2005.
Her struggles, particularly with schizophrenia and multiple relationships, have fascinated Bollywood for decades which led to many films and series inspired by her life.
2006 film Woh Lamhe… was based on Parveen Babi’s life, her battle with schizophrenia and her relationship with Mahesh Bhatt, to whom she was a lover as well as a mentor in his struggling days.
Much before that, Mahesh Bhatt himself directed the film Arth in 1982 which is also a fictional reflection on his relationship with Parveen Babi.
More recently, the 2022 series Ranjish Hi Sahi, portraying Amala Paul as Parveen Babi, also revolved around the same topic.
Now, reports say that Netflix is going to produce a full-fledged biographical series on Parveen Babi, with Animal star Triptii Dimri set to play the late actress. Directed by The Sky Is Pink filmmaker Shonali Bose, the series is expected to begin production soon.
But at this point, fans are wondering: how many times can Bollywood show the same story?
Her life was undoubtedly quite tragic. But Bollywood has repeatedly tried to tell her story through a dramatic lens, reducing her legacy to just her struggles.
Will Netflix also show the same version of Parveen Babi’s story or will they bring out something different about the actress? Otherwise, the audience doesn’t want to see the same side of her story yet again.
