'There were no games among us'

'Actresses of our generation were genuinely fond of one another.'

Mulling over Kangana Ranaut's observation that there cannot be any real friendships in the film industry, Asha Parekh tells Subhash K Jha, "I can't speak for this generation, but actresses of our generation were genuinely fond of one another."

"Waheeda (Rehman), Nanda, Sadhana, Vyjayanthimala, Helen and I have been part of the same group for decades. Of course, now the group has shrunk. Some of these friends are no more with us, but we continue to value our association."

Ashaji, who turned 81 on October 2, says there was never a sense of rivalry among the actresses of yore.

"We were not competitive because the roles were written especially for us. Hamara jo tha woh koi cheen nahin sakta tha (what was ours could not be snatched away).

"When a producer wanted Waheedaji or Vyjayanthimalaji or Sadhanaji, they went to them. When they wanted me, they came to me. Our roles were not interchangeable."

Ashaji says her friendship with her colleagues outlasted their professional competitiveness.

"When we met socially, we didn't discuss one another's roles. There were no games of one-upmanship among us. We were comfortable in our space. When Waheeda's film was a hit, we all celebrated. We did the same when one of my films succeeded."

The actress, who featured in as many as 20 silver and golden jubilee hits between 1960s and 1970s, says, "I never thought of it as power. Films came to me, they were made and released."

"Kab bann jaati thi pataa bhi nahin chalta tha (we never realised when the films got made). Many of them like Dil Deke Dekho, Teesri Manzil, Phir Wohi Dil Laaya Hoon, Mere Sanam, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Caravan and Kati Patang were memorable for me not because they were hits, but because we had so much fun shooting them."

Ashaji was one of the highest paid actresses of her time and yet, she was paid less than what her co-stars, some of them far less successful than she, got.

Mulling over the irony, she says, "I never thought about it, but you are right. I did get paid less than male actors. It was wrong, but we actresses accepted it as a male-dominated industry."

Now Ashaji is happy to see actresses coming into their own. "I really like Deepika Padukone and Vidya Balan. I loved Kangana Ranaut in Queen. I hope these actresses are paid what they deserve."