Viva Ms Babi

Flipping lazily through the TV channels this lazy afternoon, came across one that was airing that 70's comedy 'Namak Halal'. Sat watching it for lack of anything else worth viewing - and had a pleasant surprize in the bargain - the insight that Ms Parveen Babi is not less than most of her more-touted contemporaries.

Believe it or not, I ended up ignoring Amitabh (a well-nigh impossible task for me, you know!) as my entire attention was taken up by this doe-eyed actress and her talent in histrionics. Such marvellous control of facial expressions, such calculated coldness in voice and eyes that would give way to emotion only for one flickering second - with an interestingly grey-tinted character and some of the most power-packed punchlines reserved just for her. (e.g. - "Unke paas phool the, unhone phool bheje. Mere paas jo hain wo main de rahi hoon." After which she proceeds to hand over a cactus plant to Amitabh for Shashi Kapoor!) Add to it her natural beauty and SA, and whoa! What a scintillating performance you would see.

True enough, beauty sans personality can not impress ever, and if you wish to find the deadly combination of the two, do give Namak Halal a Babi-centric look next time you watch it :)