A throwback interview of Parveen Babi is going viral again where she said that the ‘biggest joke’ was Amitabh Bachchan being nominated as the ‘most handsome man’.
Parveen Babi and Amitabh Bachchan were once considered one of Bollywood’s most magnetic on-screen pairs, delivering a streak of unforgettable hits throughout the 1970s and 80s. Their chemistry in films like ‘Deewar’, ‘Amar Akbar Anthony’, ‘Kala Patthar’, and ‘Namak Halaal’ defined an era, making them one of the most iconic duos of Hindi cinema. However, despite their professional success together, their personal equation grew increasingly complicated over the years. An old interview clip that has resurfaced now sheds fresh light on that tension, particularly through one of Parveen Babi’s most unfiltered comments about the megastar.
In the viral video, Babi can be seen speaking to Shekhar Suman when she is asked about the “biggest joke” she had ever heard. Without hesitation, she points to a global poll from the early 2000s that listed Amitabh Bachchan as the “Star of the Millennium,” placing him ahead of international legends like Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley, Sir Laurence Olivier, and Michael Jackson. Babi bluntly refers to the result as “the joke of the millennium,” making it clear that she found the ranking absurd.
But she does not stop there. Babi goes on to call Bachchan’s nomination as the 10th most handsome man of the Indian century an even “bigger joke.” According to her, while Amitabh Bachchan’s stature as an actor was undeniable, his reputation had always rested more on his commanding performances and towering screen presence than on conventional physical attractiveness. Her comment, though controversial, reflects her characteristic candour, something she was both admired and criticised for.
The resurfaced clip also reignites discussion about the darker, more turbulent phase of Parveen Babi’s life. In her later years, she made several allegations against Bachchan, claims that were widely dismissed following her diagnosis of schizophrenia. Her mental-health struggles gradually pushed her into isolation, far from the limelight she once dominated.
Parveen Babi passed away on January 20, 2005, at the age of 50.
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