Geeta Siddharth No More, Shabana Remembers

More than  as individuals,  Gita Siddharth and  Siddharth Kak were known as  one of  the most  durable  and  in-love  couples  of  the Indian entertainment’s business.

I wonder  how Siddharth will survive without his better-half.

For  the  rest of the  Hindi film industry Gita  was  long gone . She has ceased  to be  active in 1987 when he last film B Subhash’s Dance Dance released. Therefafter she refused  to  accept the Bhabhi-Maa-SasuMaa  roles that were offered to her.

 Gita had a brief but impressive innings in cinema. After a   cameo in  Gulzar’s Parichay she was  first seen as  Balraj Sahni’s  favoured ladli daughter  in M S Sathyu’s Garam Hawa   in 1973. So fond did  Balraj become  of his screen daughter he  wanted to  adopt her in real life.

After Garam Hawa  Bollywood didn’t know where  to slot this unconventional actress. In 1978 she played  Sanjeev Kumar’s wife  in the historic Sholay.  Later she also played  Sanjeev  Kumar’s wife in  Yash Chopra’s Trishul.

For a while Gita was  associated with Yash Raj films for whom she films like Doosra Aadmi, Noorie and Trishul.

 But her heart was clearly not in being a Bollywood groupie.  After some forgettable roles she quickly quit Hindi cinema.

The news  of her death came as a killing reminder of how cruel showbiz can be for the non-conformists who  don’t fit in.

Says  Shabana Azmi, “She was part of our extended IPTA family. A part of my youth.Her work in Garm Hawa is memorable. We lost touch but whenever we met we could pick up from where we left.My heartfelt condolences to her husband Siddharth and daughter Antara.”