Bindu

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As a child Bindu had passion for acting Being born to parents associated with creative arts, her father was a film producer and mother was a stage dancer, hence Bindu had an inherent inclination towards arts and cinema. At a young age she began dancing on stage and was widely appreciated. People encouraged her to join cinema but her father was against her joining cinema. Bindu joined cinema as a compulsion to support family after father’s death Bindu’s father was a film producer, who made stunt films in silent era. But during his last stage most of his film flopped and he was under heavy debt. This pressure took his life and Bindu was bereaved at the age of just 3 years!!! Bindu had a huge joint family of eight people hence to support her family she started doing modeling for children products. She also did few documentaries for Indian Tourism.

Besides family even the priest ignored to perform Bindu’s marriage Bindu married Champak Lal Zhaveri, a Mumbai businessman involved in outdoor adverting. She was just 16 years when she married much against her family and the society because even the priest had ignored to perform their marriage but Bindu informed in an interview that her husband had bribed the priest to perform their marriage. Recalling her controversial marriage Bindu once said she and her husband lived in the same building and had developed fondness for each other at a tender age. Soon after her education was completed they had decided to marry but much against the family oppositions who were adamant. Hence they had to marry secretly .

Bindu made her debut at the age of 11 years Bindu made her debut at the age of 11 years in the film Anpadh (1962). Though Bindu was just 11 years (as per her date of birth) but her physique was broad hence despite being adolescent she looked like grown up girl. She played the role of Mala Sinha’s college going daughter. In fact even a romantic song - Jiya Le Gayo Ji Mora Sanwaria … was filmed on her with a newcomer youth. The film was a big hit as it had good music and big stars like Mala Sinha, Balraj Sahani etc. However the film could not give much impetus to Bindu’s career. Bindu complained that filmmaker Mohan Kumar did not gave her much publicity that she deserved. Bindu was in two minds to play a vamp in Do Raaste After Anpadh, Bindu had to wait for few years to get her next film film Do Raaste in which she played a vamp opposite the superstar Rajesh Khanna. She was spotted by film director Raj Khosla, when she had come to meet her brother-in-law Laxmikant (Famous music director of Laxmikant Pyarelal fame). When Raj Khosla offered her the vamp role, Bindu was reluctant and she asked for some time to reconsider the proposal. She took opinion of many people and two days later she finally made up her mind to play the vamp role. When she started shooting for Do Raaste, she simultaneously signed another vamp role in Yash Chopra’s film Ittefaq. Incidentally in this film too she was opposite Rajesh Khanna. Both the films were hit though Ittefaq released first in October 1969 and Do Raaste released in December 1969. Interestingly in both the films Bindu won the Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the film. How Kati Patang made Bindu a cabaret specialist During the making of the film Kati Patang filmmaker Shakti Samant for the first time gave Bindu to do a cabaret song on screen. Bindu was reluctant to wear the dress with big holes all over the dress that displayed her skin. She protested hence an inner-wear of skin colour was added. It was only then Bindu did the song. But after the dance was shot, Bindu was quite embarrassed by her bold outfit and requested Shakti Samant to re-shoot the song again, but Shakti Samant assured her that the song was well shot and would prove the ace card for the film. As per Shakti Samant’s prediction the song proved a huge hit. The song was Mera Naam Hai Shabnam…. After Kati Patng was released Bindu was flooded with offers and every producer wanted her to do cabaret song. Besides her films with Rajesh Khanna became more strong and popular. The two did as many as 16 films together like Prem Nagar, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Amar Prem, Chhoti Bahu, Dushman, Amar Deep etc. With Zanjeer Bindu became famous as Mona Darling When Prakash Mehra, film director of Zanjeer, staring Amitabh Bachchan, approached Bindu he told her that she had a significant role in the film. Bindu was disappointed but when she saw the edited version of the film that most of her role was edited out and she was reduced to a glamour doll. However when the film was released she was surprised as the nation went crazy about her role. After the film everybody began recognizing her by the name Mona Darling. Bindu gives credit to her co-star Ajit, whose peculiar style of delivering the dialogue was mesmerizing. Later Ajit and Bindu did many films like Chhupa Rustam, Dharma, Garam Khoon, Des Pardes, Chalta Purza, Shankar Shambhu etc. Bindu tight lipped the film critics with her positive role in Abhimaan In the early 70’s when Bindu was doing cabaret, vamp and seductress role suddenly she stunned the audience with a positive role in Amitabh Bachchan starrer Abhimaan. Bindu credits the success of the role to filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee. She once said, “Hrishida was one director, whom she would remain ever indebted because he was one director who discovered the actress in Bindu. He offered her a role for which many people criticized him but he stuck to his guns. When the film released she was widely appreciated and went on to win the Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actress award.”