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Happy Birthday Saira Banu: These Films Of The Actress Are A Must Watch For Every Cinephile!
With her style and elegance, Saira Banu lit up the frame every time she appeared on screen. The actress made her debut opposite Shammi Kapoor in the 1961 film Junglee and delivered many memorable performances in her career.
Off screen too, the actress won hearts with her candour. In one of her old interviews, when she was asked a harsh question about acting in sensible films, the actress had replied, "I will act in a sensible film when there is a sensible audience to view such a film. Is there anything sensible in our country that we should single out films and make them the target of criticism?" That's Banu, shooting straight from the film.
Interestingly, the actress had turned down some films which went on to become huge hits at the box office. This includes Reena Roy's Nagin and Waheeda Rehman's Guide. Saira refused Nagin because she wasn't convinced about it. She also let go Guide as she had alloted her dates to Mehboob Khan's Habba Khatoon in which she was paired opposite her childhood crush who later became her husband, Dilip Kumar. In an interview with Quint, Banu had admitted that she always picked up unusual projects while her colleagues chose big banner films.
On Saira Banu's 77th birthday today, we list down some of her most memorable work on screen.
Padosan
Who can forget Sairu Banu's coy looks as Sunil Dutt crooned 'Mere Saamne waali Khidki' in the cult classic Padosan? In one of her interviews, the actress had revealed that her character Bindu was a reflection of her real personality at that time. She had even revealed that the biggest compliment for her performance in this movie came from her late husband Dilip Kumar who lauded her comic timing.
Junglee
Saira Banu made her acting debut opposite Shammi Kapoor in Subodh Mukherjee's Junglee. As the charming and lively Rajkumari, she was a perfect foil to Kapoor's 'Yahoo' act on screen.
Purab Aur Paschim
Saira Banu delivered a remarkable performance as the blonde-haired London-bred Preeti who has lost touch with her Indian roots in Manoj Kumar's Purab Aur Paschim.
Bluff Master
Saira
Banu
paired
up
once
again
with
her
first
co-star
Shammi
Kapoor
for
Manmohan
Desai's
Bluff
Master in
which
she
essayed
the
role
of
a
girl
who
falls
in
love
with
Shammi's
character
of
a
conman.
Gopi
The veteran actress essayed the role of a village belle and was paired opposite her real-life husband Dilip Kumar in A Bhimsingh's Gopi.
In Dilip Kumar's autobiography 'The Substance And The Shadow,' the late superstar recalled how Saira's Kathak Guru Roshan Kumari and the actress would spend hours in their rehearsal of the choreographed movements for the song picturized on 'Gentleman Gentleman Gentleman' song which became a craze post the film's release.
Victoria No. 203
Saira was a blast on screen in Victoria No. 203 as Rekha, a super agent by night, trying to figure out who framed her father, while driving a Victoria carriage in the disguise of a man in daytime.
