Barinder Saluja, Candigarh : Jan. 4 : Poetry buffs in the city came face to face with Bollywood actor Deepti Naval at her poetry reading at the British Library today afternoon. Deepti read a selection of her poems from her book ‘Black Wind and Other Poems’. The poems she chose were written on women and their struggle. Following the poetry reading, there was a Questions and Answers session with the poet conducted by Nirupama Dutt.
In his welcome note Bipin Kumar, Manager British Library, Chandigarh said that there was always more to Deepti than just acting. A daughter of academics, she had the artistic and literary flair. Studying in Hunter College in Manhattan in the U.S. of the the Seventies, Deepti picked up many skills and concerns.
Naresh Jacob and Veenu Koutish of Vibrations Group sang songs from the films of Deepti. After that the audience had a lively discussion with Deepti who is a woman of many talents and also paints and photographs.
Deepti made a charming cinema debut in the 1980 film Ek Baar Phir with Suresh Oberoi playing her husband and a Chandigarh young man, Pradeep Verma, her lover. It was a daring film for its times. .. She did several roles that made an impact but she is best remembered in Sai Paranjpe’s Chashme Baddoor (1981) playing the girl next door selling a detergent powder called Chamko. However, the smiling Chamko girl went onto do some very serious films including Kamla, Mirch Masala, Damul and many others.
She recalls: “We moved to New York in early 70’s when US was ablaze with Vietnam War. Marches and protests on the streets with slogans, was a common site.” She learnt painting and always kept a diary in which she penned her poetic thoughts in small poems written in Hindi. She was an admirer of the poetry of Faiz and Sahir like many who grew up in the Seventies and just loved the the Hindi film songs of yore penned by some of the finest poets. Her association with poet and filmmaker Gulzar brought her in touch with the grand dame of Punjabi letters, Amrita Pritam. Deepti recalls: “I started writing in New York in Hindi. The choice of language was more as an identity with a desire to showcase my native language, Hindustani. My first book was Lamha Lamha in Urdu, which Amrita Pritam loved and encouraged me to publish them. The book came out in 1983.” In 2004 she published ‘Black Wind and Other Poems’.
When asked, How she happen to get first film? she answered, with a sprinkle of smile on her face as if taking her back to yester years, that as she was a very shy kind of a girl but when she was 7 years old in Amritsar, she had this in back of her mind to carve a significant image of her on Silver Screen. It was on the shooting of Shayam Benegals “Junoon” which she watched very religiously to have lead to getting a role in Ek Baar Fir. Another film of hers which really gave her an identity of “Chamko Girl”, was Sai Paranjpe’s Hit, Chashme Baddoor. The other role’s which she enjoyed the most were in Kamla, Chamko, Ankahee, Main Zinda Hoon, Leela & memories in Mirch Masala.
Deepti will also be releasing soon her anthology of short stories. She has also directed a film called ‘Do Paise ki Dhoop, Chaar Anne ki Chandni’ with Manisha Koirala in the lead and the film will be released some time in March, this year.