Simi Garewal
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Garewal in 2012
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| Born | Simrita Garewal[1] (1940-10-17) 17 October 1940 (age 83)[2] |
| Occupation(s) | Film actor, producer, director, talk show hostess |
| Years active | 1962–2011 |
| Spouse |
Ravi Mohan
(m. 1970; div. 1979) |
| Relatives | Pamela Chopra (first cousin) |
| Website | www |
Simi Garewal (born Simrita Garewal;[1] 17 October 1940[2]) is an Indian actress, director, producer and a talk show host. She is the recipient of several awards including two Filmfare Awards and one Indian Television Academy Award.
She is known for her work in Hindi films like Do Badan (1966), Saathi (1968), Mera Naam Joker (1970), Siddhartha (1972), Karz (1980) and Udeekaan (Punjabi film). She acted in the Bengali film Aranyer Din Ratri directed by Satyajit Ray. She is also known for her celebrity talk show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.
Garewal was born in Ludhiana.[3][4] Her father, Brigadier J. S. Garewal served in the Indian Army. Simi is a cousin of Pamela Chopra, wife of filmmaker Yash Chopra. Simi's mother Darshi and Pamela's father Mohinder Singh were siblings.[7] Simi grew up in England and studied at Newland House School with her sister Amrita.[8]
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. Garewal made her debut alongside Feroz Khan in this film released in 1962.[9] 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 with Mehboob Khan in Son of India (1962), Raj KhoslainDo Badan (1966), Raj KapoorinMera Naam Joker (1970), Satyajit RayinAranyer Din Ratri (1970, Days and Nights in the Forest) and Mrinal SeninPadatik (1973, The Guerilla Fighter). She starred opposite Shashi KapoorinColumbia Pictures' Siddhartha (1972), an English-language movie based on the novelbyHermann 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.[10][11][12] 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).[13] Another notable role she played was as a vampinKarz (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.[citation needed]
Garewal anchored the talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal.[14]
She usually wears her signature white clothes on TV shows and at award ceremonies, and is popularly known as "The Lady in White".[15] Garewal recently appeared on Say Shava Shava 2008 as a host and judge.[16] 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 for which she later apologized. [17]
She returned to television with her new talk show India's Most DesirableonStar Plus which would interview only eligible singles, Bollywood actors, business and media icons, and Indian cricketers about their "ideal and desirable beaus".[18]
Simi Garewal has her own website which she uses to interact with her fans. The site has her voice reading the text.[19] She also has her own channel on YouTube where all her shows and documentaries are uploaded. The channel has received over 40 million views.[20]
Garewal had her first serious relationship at the age of 17, with the Maharaja of Jamnagar, Shatrusalyasinhji who was also her neighbour in England.[21][22][23] Garewal was later in a relationship with Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, the Nawab of Pataudi, but he broke up with her after he met Sharmila Tagore.[24][25]
In 1970, she married Ravi Mohan, a member of the aristocratic Chunnamal family from Delhi. They divorced in 1979.[5][6][23]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Raaz Ki Baat | Kamal | |
| Son of India | Lalita | ||
| Tarzan Goes to India | Princess Kamara | ||
| 1965 | Teen Devian | Simi / Radha Rani | |
| Johar-Mehmood in Goa | Simmi | ||
| 1966 | Do Badan | Dr. Anjali | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1968 | Aadmi | Aarti | |
| Saathi | Rajini | Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| Ek Raat | Rekha B Sharma | ||
| 1970 | Mera Naam Joker | Mary | |
| Aranyer Din Ratri | Duli | Bengali film | |
| 1971 | Andaz | Mona | |
| Do Boond Pani | Gauri | ||
| Seema | |||
| 1972 | Anokhi Pehchan | ||
| Siddhartha | Kamala | ||
| 1973 | Padatik | Woman who shelters activist | Bengali film |
| Namak Haraam | Manisha | ||
| 1974 | Haath Ki Safai | Roma S Kumar | |
| 1975 | Dak Bangla | Simi Nitin Sethi and others | |
| 1976 | Naach Uthe Sansaar | Somu | |
| Chalte Chalte | Geeta | ||
| Kabhi Kabhie | Shobha Kapoor | ||
| 1977 | Abhi To Jee Lein | Miss Mahajan | |
| 1979 | Ahsaas | Asha Choudhry | |
| 1980 | The Burning Train | School Teacher | |
| Karz | Kamini Verma | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress | |
| Insaf Ka Tarazu | Lawyer | ||
| 1981 | Naseeb | Herself | Cameo Appearance |
| Professor Pyarelal | Rita | ||
| Biwi-O-Biwi | Nisha | ||
| 1982 | Teri Meri Kahani | Meena Shastry/Seema | |
| Hathkadi | Pammi Mittal | ||
| 1986 | Love and God | Ghazala | |
| 1988 | Rukhsat | Radha Talwar | Also Director |
| Year | Show name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Living Legend Raj Kapoor | Writer/director | Documentary on Raj Kapoor for Channel Four Television, UK |
| 1991 | India's Rajiv | Writer/director | Three-part documentary series on Rajiv Gandhi |
| 1997 | Rendezvous with Simi Garewal | Host | 5 seasons (140 episodes), on Star World India |
| 2011 | Simi Selects India's Most Desirable | Host | 1 seasons (22 episodes), on Star World India |
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