Latest news with #Avtaar
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
She looked like a Bollywood star, worked with industry giants but her early death remains unexplained
Synopsis Madhu Malini, born Ruksana in Mumbai's Mahim area, rose from a modest background to act alongside some of Bollywood's biggest stars in the 1970s and 80s. Known for her striking resemblance to Hema Malini, she appeared in films like Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Laawaris, Ek Duuje Ke Liye, and Avtaar, gaining recognition as a strong supporting actress. She also worked extensively in regional cinema, even landing a lead role in the Punjabi film Ambri. Hema Malini's Lookalike Who Acted in Big Films, Gone Too Soon at 33 Born as Ruksana in the late 1950s in Mumbai's Mahim area, she grew up in a family with limited means. Despite financial struggles, she dreamed of making it big in films. Her journey into cinema began with small roles in Hindi films during the 1970s, where her striking appearance soon caught the industry's facial features bore a strong resemblance to Bollywood's 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini. The similarity became a frequent topic of discussion among film circles and audiences, eventually prompting her to adopt the screen name Madhu Malini. The new name quickly became part of her professional identity, giving her a unique place in the industry. Her early appearances in films like Pratigya (1975) and Dream Girl (1977) helped her gain industry exposure, but it was the 1978 blockbuster Muqaddar Ka Sikandar that brought her significant recognition. Playing Amitabh Bachchan's sister, Madhu's performance was well-received and positioned her as a dependable supporting went on to work in major productions such as Laawaris (1981), Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), Khuddar (1982), and Razia Sultan (1983). One of her most memorable roles came in Avtaar (1983), where she portrayed Rajesh Khanna's scheming daughter-in-law—a performance praised for its Hindi cinema mostly cast her in supporting roles, Madhu found greater opportunities in regional films. She acted in Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Gujarati movies. In 1983, she fulfilled a long-held dream by playing the lead in the Punjabi film the late 1980s, Madhu Malini had built a diverse filmography across languages, though she never attained the stardom of Bollywood's top heroines. Her career came to an abrupt and tragic end when she was found dead in her Mumbai apartment at just 33 years old. Reports at the time suggested possible brain flu, but the exact cause of death was never confirmed. Investigations yielded no conclusive findings, leaving her demise shrouded in Malini's story remains one of Bollywood's bittersweet tales—an actress who worked alongside industry giants and left an impression on audiences, but whose life and career ended far too soon.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Shabana Azmi recalls working with late Rajesh Khanna with incomplete scripts during Nasihat shoot: 'It was being written by Kader Khan in....'
Shabana Azmi recounted her experiences with Rajesh Khanna in 1980s commercial cinema, highlighting chaotic shoots and incomplete scripts, contrasting sharply with the structured parallel cinema. She recalled a challenging trek for the song "Chalo, Bulaawa Aaya Hai" from Avtaar, enduring harsh conditions with the entire crew, including Khanna, showcasing their resilience. Shabana Azmi recently reflected on her experiences working with Rajesh Khanna in the 1980s, recalling chaotic shoots, incomplete scripts, and tough filming conditions that highlighted the stark contrast between commercial and parallel cinema. Spontaneity over structure During a recent conversation with Chanda Kochhar, Shabana reflected on the unpredictable nature of working in 1980s commercial cinema. While filming Nasihat with Rajesh Khanna, she recalled how scenes were often shot with incomplete scripts. In one instance, they had only the first page of a scene, while the rest was still being written by Kader Khan at another studio. This highlighted the stark difference between the spontaneity of mainstream films and the structure of parallel cinema. Parallel cinema The veteran actress also spoke about the disciplined approach of parallel cinema, where tight budgets meant that a complete script was essential before filming began. Having experienced this early on through her work in Shyam Benegal 's films, she noted how this level of preparation stood in stark contrast to commercial projects and helped shape her as an actor. A challenging trek In a 2024 interview with Radio Nasha Official, Shabana reflected on the challenging shoot of the song "Chalo, Bulaawa Aaya Hai, Maata Ne Bulaaya Hai" from the film Avtaar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover Effortless Glucose Monitoring: Request a Free Trial Dexcom Click Here Undo She shared that reaching the temple location involved trekking due to the lack of helicopter services at the time. The journey was physically demanding, with no basic facilities like toilets along the way, making the shoot particularly tough. She went on to describe the harsh conditions they endured during the Avtaar shoot. Despite being a massive star, Rajesh Khanna stood in queues with food containers like everyone else. The team slept on the floors of dharamshalas in freezing temperatures, layering themselves with multiple blankets for warmth — and even then, the cold was intense. There was no room for star treatment; the entire crew, including Khanna, embraced the challenges in a spirit of togetherness. On the work front, Shabana Azmi was last seen in the web series Dabba Cartel and will next appear in the film Lahore 1947.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Shabana Azmi, Rajesh Khanna worked with incomplete scripts during Nasihat shoot, Kader Khan was writing in another studio: ‘We didn't know when the second page would come'
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi and late actor Rajesh Khanna collaborated on several films, including Avtaar (1983), Amar Deep (1979), and the 1986 action drama Nasihat. In a recent interview, Shabana shared an anecdote from the sets of Nasihat that highlighted the stark contrast between working in mainstream commercial cinema and the more structured world of parallel cinema. In a recent interview with Chanda Kochhar, Shabana Azmi opened up about her film Nasihat and said, 'There was a time when Rajesh Khanna and I were working in a film and we were doing the first page of a scene, and we didn't know when the second page would come. Because it was being written by Kader Khan in another studio. He was an actor, but he was also writing this. So, when that page would come, then we'd know where it's going.' She further recalled how parallel cinema required a complete script because of the small budgets. 'A lot has changed. But, I had got a taste of this even earlier while working in Shyam Benegal's films – films that are referred to as art cinema or parallel cinema. Their budgets were so small that they had to have a complete script. They couldn't just go along ki ab paisa milega, ab karo. They had to be prepared about everything. So, that has helped me,' the 74-year-old added. ALSO READ | Shabana Azmi married Javed Akhtar in a simple saree to avoid looking like Rajesh Khanna or Vinod Khanna's 'dulhan': 'Mujhe itna khauf tha…' In a 2024 interview with Radio Nasha Official, Shabana Azmi spoke about shooting the song 'Chalo, Bulaawa Aaya Hai, Maata Ne Bulaaya Hai' from her film Avtaar with Rajesh Khanna. 'Shooting for 'Chalo Bulaawa Aaya Hai' for Avtaar was filled with hardships. During those days, there were no helicopter services, we had to trek to reach the temple. There were no toilets on the way. It was an extremely difficult situation,' she said. The actor continued, 'Can you imagine Rajesh Khanna, a superstar, standing in queue with Dalda dabbas? It was also extremely cold at that time. We used to sleep on floors in dharamshalas. We had mattresses with about 12 layers of blankets. We used six layers of blanket to cover ourselves, and we were still cold. At that point in time, Rajesh Khanna couldn't be like 'I am a superstar'. We all did it in the spirit.' On the work front, Shabana Azmi was last seen in the Netflix web series Dabba Cartel and will next appear in the film Lahore 1947.
Deccan Herald
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
'Pushpa, I Hate Tears' to 'Zindagi Badi Honi Chahiye': Revisiting Rajesh Khanna's unforgettable dialogues
A still from Avtaar Credit: Special Arrangement A still from Safar Credit: Special Arrangement Aradhana was Rajesh Khanna's all-time hit. Credit: Special Arrangement A still from Amar Prem. Credit: Special Arrangement A still from Bawarchi Credit: Special Arrangement Namak Haraam delivered many cult dialogues Credit: Special Arrangement A still from Anand. Credit: Special Arrangement
