Veteran actor Kabir Bedi recently opened up about his past relationship with the late actress Parveen Babi, highlighting the emotional toll her battle with mental health took on her life. In a candid conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Kabir shared his memories of Parveen and expressed deep sorrow for the challenges she endured.
Recalling the moment he learned of her passing, Kabir Bedi said, “I was shooting for a film and somebody said that Parveen Babi has passed away. I felt deep grief because I knew how much she had struggled in life, not for roles, but with her own mind. The struggle was within her mind.”
Parveen Babi, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the late 1970s, had reportedly worked hard to keep her struggles private, fearing that it would affect her career.
Kabir Bedi further added, “For so many years she hid her mental (health) struggle from the people of the industry. She knew that if they got to know there was a problem with her mind, her career would be over. Imagine living with this fear when you are a star. She faced all of this and at the same time her mind didn’t support her.”
Despite being one of the biggest stars of Bollywood, Parveen faced overwhelming personal struggles, which eventually led to her retirement in 1984.
Parveen Babi, celebrated for her roles in iconic films like Deewaar and Majboor, was linked romantically to Kabir Bedi, Danny Denzongpa and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. Kabir shared that all three of them were present at her funeral, paying their respects to a woman they had deeply cared for.
He stated, “She was a beautiful, intelligent, sensitive person. In the end, during her funeral, I was present, Mahesh Bhatt was there and Danny Denzongpa was there.”
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Parveen Babi is remembered not only as a gifted actress of the 1970s and 1980s but also as a figure whose journey highlighted the often unspoken challenges of mental health, especially within the demanding world of showbiz.
