Bindu, Bollywood's Mona Darling

While ‘Zanjeer’ got her the title, the actor did multiple regional films and also excelled in comedy

The term ‘legend’ can be woefully inadequate as a description for some achievers. And in that limited list falls Bindu.

“Acting was in my blood!” says Bindu with a laugh, adding, “My mother, Jyoti Desai, was a very popular stage artiste and my father, Nanubhai Desai, was a producer.” She recalls her mother telling her that even as a child, she would immediately react to music by dancing.

Destiny took a hand when Bindu, at the age of 13, promised her dying father that she would support the family — being the eldest of seven sisters and a brother. She began to model, and worked with an organisation making short films on Indian girls who wanted to pursue careers, which were shown abroad.

Small roles in films like Mahesh Kaul’s 'Santan' (1959) followed. She adds, "When I got to enact a song as beautiful as Lata (Mangeshkar) ji’s 'Jiya le gayo ji mora saawariya' in 'Anpadh', I was ecstatic! But the film did not do well.”

As films became a forgotten chapter, Bindu fell in love with a young man from her neighbourhood, Champaklal Zaveri, and soon wed him against the wishes of his family. "My husband came to live with us, as I still had to support my family. Champak ji soon became the self-made king of hoardings in Mumbai! His love is always immense and unconditional!"

Bindu got her siblings educated and married. "My father had wanted me to become a doctor, and the dream came true when my sister Priti became one. One of my other sisters, Jaya, married the legendary composer, Laxmikant!" she says proudly.

And it was thanks to Laxmikant indirectly that Bindu metamorphosed into 'the Bindu'!

“We had gone to Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s background score recording for Raj Khosla ji’s 'Anita', and Raj ji asked Laxmiji who I was. He then asked me if I was open to acting in his next film. It was a negative role but he assured me that it was the main character. The film was based on a popular book, ‘Nilambari’, and it would be titled 'Do Raaste'. My husband didn't object as the sleeping actress in me woke up,” she recollects.

Word spread and Bindu was signed for many other films. "Shakti Samanta offered me the role of Shabnam in 'Kati Patang', asking if I could do a cabaret number. I wasn’t formally trained in dance, but I took it as a challenge, rehearsed relentlessly under the choreographer, and ‘Mera naam hai Shabnam’ became huge as it was also linked to the story,” Bindu says.

The die was cast. Bindu emerged as the new sex-symbol, the first to become one after marriage. “It is all thanks to my husband,” she smiles. “We shared a great understanding and mutual trust. He knew that all this was part of my work. We never discussed films once I came home and he has, to date, never seen the inside of any studio.”

Bindu turned 82 in April.

Bindu also feels very fortunate that she got great songs too, and 1973 was a special year in that respect. “My song ‘Hungama ho gaya’ from 'Anhonee', composed by my brother-in-law, was the first-ever dance number shot in a pub, and was so popular it was recreated in 'Queen'. In 'Dharma', the onscreen qawwali competition between Pran saab and me, ‘Raaz ki baat’, was such a craze that I was taken in a burqa by the producer to see how the audience threw coins at the screen.” Finally, 'Zanjeer' earned her the tag of Mona Darling.

Bindu had a special equation with her 'Do Raaste' co-star, Prem Chopra, with whom she went on to do over 10 films. “There was a time when distributors would tell producers to ensure us in the cast, with the hero making no difference,” she preens.

'Ittefaq', 'Dastaan', 'Imtihan', 'Hawas', 'Prem Shastra', and 'Dus Numbri' — the notable films kept adding up.

“Hrishikesh Mukherjee dared to see me differently and cast me in positive roles in 'Abhimaan', 'Arjun Pandit' and 'Chaitali',” she says. The first two earned her Best Supporting Actress nominations but she never won any award from them. “That really hurt!” recalls the actress. “A young, enthusiastic artiste needs encouragement. No Lifetime achievement award can compensate for the same. But, I was happy to be awarded the title of Most Stylish Timeless Legend by an online entertainment news portal recently, and I am proud of that!”

The word "timeless" is indeed apt for Bindu. She did multiple regional films, also excelled in comedy (Hero, Main Hoon Na), and quit films after 2007, only because no substantial roles came her way.

Bindu, however, is far from idle today. “My husband and I run the Sai Baba Charitable Trust,” she signs off.