SIMI AGARWAL ,HINDI ACTRESS BORN 1947 OCTOBER 17

 SIMI AGARWAL ,HINDI ACTRESS 

BORN 1947 OCTOBER 17

Simi Garewal (born 17 October 1947) is an Indian actress and a talk show hostess. She is the recipient of two Filmfare awards. She is known for her work in the films Do Badan, Saathi, Mera Naam Joker, Siddhartha,Karz and Udeekaan (Punjabi film). She also acted in a Bengali movie named Aranyer Dinratri directed by legendary Satyajit Ray. She is also known for her celebrity talk show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.

Early life

Garewal was born in Ludhiana, Punjab, India.[1][2] Her father, Brigadier J. S. Garewal served in the Indian Army. Simi is a cousin of Pamela Chopra, wife of film-maker Yash Chopra. Simi's mother Darshi and Pamela's father Mohinder Singh were siblings.[3] Simi grew up in England and studied at Newland House School with her sister Amrita.[4]

Film and television career

After spending much of her childhood in England, Garewal returned to India while a teenager. Her fluency in the English language induced the makers of the English-language film Tarzan Goes to India to offer her a role. A 15-year-old, Garewal made her debut alongside Feroz Khan in this film in 1962.[5] Her performance was good enough for her to fetch many more film offers. During the 1960s and '70s, she was in several notable Indian films, working with leading directors such as Mehboob Khan's Son of India, Raj Kapoor in Mera Naam Joker (1970), Satyajit Ray in Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest), Mrinal Sen in Padatik (The Guerilla Fighter) and Raj Khosla in Do Badan. She starred opposite Shashi Kapoor in Columbia Pictures' Siddhartha, an English-language movie based on the novel by Hermann Hesse. Garewal did a nude scene in this film which caused some controversy in India and was only released for exhibition after complying with cuts ordered by the Indian Censor board.[6][7] .[8] Later, in the mid-1970s, she made an appearance in the popular film Kabhi Kabhie (1976), made by her brother in-law Yash Chopra, and had a starring role in Chalte Chalte (1976).[9] Another notable role she played was as a vamp in Karz (1980). She starred in the BBC docu-drama Maharajas (1987), based on the book by Charles Allen.

In the early 1980s, her attention turned to writing and direction. She formed her own production company, Siga Arts International. She hosted, produced and directed a TV series for Doordarshan called It's a Woman's World (1983). She also made a documentary for Channel 4 in the UK called Living Legend Raj Kapoor (1984). This was followed by a three-part documentary on Rajiv Gandhi titled India's Rajiv. She wrote and directed a Hindi feature film Rukhsat and produced television commercials, for which she won the first prize from the 1988 Pater's Award in Australia.

Garewal anchored the talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.[10]

She usually wears her signature white clothes on TV shows and at award ceremonies, and is popularly known as "The Lady in White".[11] Garewal recently appeared on Say Shava Shava 2008 as a host and judge.[12] After the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008, Simi Garewal aroused controversy by publicly calling for the Indian government to "carpet-bomb" the training camps in Pakistan.

She returned to television with her new talk show India's Most Desirable on Star Plus which would interview only eligible singles, Bollywood actors, business and media icons, and Indian cricketers about their "ideal and desirable beaus".[13]

Simi Garewal has her own website which she uses to interact with her fans: www.simigarewal.com. The site has her voice reading the text. She also has her own channel on YouTube where all her shows and documentaries are uploaded. The channel has received over 40 million views.

Personal life

Garewal had her first serious relationship at the age of 17, with then Maharaja of Jamnagar, who was also her neighbour in England.[14]

Garewal was later in a relationship and going steady with Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi but he broke up with her after he met Sharmila Tagore.[15] [16]

Garewal was married to Ravi Mohan of Chunnamal family from old Delhi but her marriage was short and she is now divorced.[17]

Mini Bio (1)

Simi Garewal was born on October 17, 1947 to a Punjabi Sikh family in India. Her father was J.S Garewal who was in the military. Her mother was a homemaker. Her family migrated to London in early 1953 when she was barely 6 years old. In 1961, she moved back to India in order to become an actress. She was offered a small role in the English film Tarzan Goes to India (1962). When the film was released, she was noticed by filmmakers which resulted in getting more roles in Bollywood movies. However, her accented Hindi blocked her pathway to becoming a successful actress and hence, she was reduced to secondary roles in movies. In 1972, her nude scene in Siddhartha (1972) created a huge controversy in India and the film was not released due to censorship problems. After 1972, her demand began diminishing and she turned her attention to writing and direction. She now runs a TV show named Rendezvous with Simi in which she interviews popular Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Simifan

Spouse (2)

? (? - ?) ( divorced)

Ravi Mohan (? - ?) ( divorced)

Trivia (6)

Aunt to Aditya Chopra and Uday Chopra.

First Cousin to Pamela Chopra ( Simi's mother is sister to Pamela's father.). Pamela's husband is filmmaker Yash Chopra. Both Simi and Pamela worked in his hit film Sometimes (1976). Simi played the foster mother to Neetu Singh, while Pamela wrote the story and sang in the chorus for one of the songs in the film.

Former partner of Ravi Mohan.

Was involved with Pakistani journalist based in London Salman Taseer.

Was to debut in the 1962 movie "Kaneez" produced by Guru Dutt , directed by Abrar Alvi. The film was based in Arabian Adventure. It was shelved after Dutt's death .

Because of her fondness for wearing white clothes, Simi Garewal is known as The Lady in White.

Happy birthday Simi Garewal: Here are some lesser-known facts about the gorgeous actress that you might not know

From being the chat show queen of Indian television to sharing the silver screen with notable celebrities of Indian cinema like Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, and more, veteran actress Simi Garewal is a popular name in Bollywood with a very successful film career. While the actress is known for her unconventional and one-of-a-kind personality, her life is no lesser than a great film and as today Simi turned a year older, have a look at some of these lesser-known facts about the birthday girl that you might not know. Be ready to be surprised!

Photo credit: Simi Garewal Instagram

While growing up in Britain, Simi always had a special place in her heart for films and even once admitted that she would hand outside Twickenham Studios to watch the shooting sets. Later, the actress reportedly went on a hunger strike in order to convince her parents about joining Bollywood.

Photo credit: Jaypore Instagram

Simi comes with a rich English background as she grew up in England and attended school there. While her father was a multi-linguistic person, both of her parents used to spend their days around high teas and polo matches. The actress is very close to her only sister, Amrita.

Photo credit: Simi Garewal Instagram

Simi has always been seen donning white attires, be it a simple white chiffon saree or an all-white pantsuit, paired with a pearl necklace. She once told Bombay Times, “I really do love white. Ever since I was a little girl my favourite party dresses were always white. I feel happy when I wear white. If I happen to get attracted to designs in another colour, I buy them, but they remain in my wardrobe, unworn.”

Photo credit: Simi Garewal Instagram

While Simi has seen several ups and downs in her personal life, including her first serious relationship when she was 17, with the then Maharaja of Jamnagar, her neighbor in Britain. Later she opened up about being in a relationship with Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi before he had met Sharmila Tagore. The actress was married to Ravi Mohan of the Chunnamal family from old Delhi. However, it was a short-lived marriage while she is currently happily divorced.

Photo credit: Retro Bollywood Instagram

After Bollywood, Simi made her Hollywood debut with filmmaker John Guillermin’s ‘Tarzan Goes To India’ that featured actor Jock Mahoney as she was picked for her impeccable English accent. In the film, she played the role of Princess Kamara.

Photo credit: Simi Garewal fanclub Instagram