Parekh, who rolled out hits with every hero she worked with -- from Joy Mukherjee to Biswajeet to Shashi Kapoor – agreed to work with Manoj Kumar in 1962 release Apna Banake Dekho. “I was the only actress who agreed to do this film with Manoj. All the other actresses refused because he was very new, he had just started his film career. He had not made a mark till then. But I never believed in these things because I felt everybody is a newcomer when they come into the industry,”

Asha Parekh and late Manoj Kumar – two legendary icons and a celebrated pairing in Hindi cinema, shared memorable on-screen chemistry in hit films like Do Badan, Saajan and Upkar. However, it was a different story when Manoj Kumar set foot into the industry, when no actress was willing to work with him but Parekh, branded as a jubilee girl and the only heroine whose name sold films in those days, thought differently.

“It is very sad news ...his passing away .. he was a great director, he was a great writer, he was a great lyricist, he was an all-rounder… and also a great great homeopathic doctor that not many know of,” reveals Parekh. “The only sad part is that he didn’t write a book on homeopathy and I always told him to do so. I am upset that his book (on homeopathy) never happened. He was a great doctor. Once or twice when he had called, this was long back ..I did tell him that he should write a book but unfortunately it didn’t happen,” says the actress.

After making a little-noticed début in Fashion (1957), followed by forgettable roles in films like Sahara (1958), Chand (1959) and Honeymoon (1960), Manoj Kumar landed his first leading role in Kaanch Ki Gudiya (1961). Piya Milan Ki Aas (1961), Suhag Sindoor (1961), Reshmi Roomal (1961) followed, but the majority of these sank without a trace.

While working with Manoj Kumar in their first film, Parekh realized that her co-star was an extremely talented writer. “When we were shooting for Apna Banake Dekho Manoj would be writing on the set. I would tell him why don’t you write? Later he wrote so many scenes in our film Do Badan (1966),” says Parekh, who had once revealed that Manoj Kumar was upset with her suggestion for Do Badan’s climax. ‘We had to reshoot’, she had said. However, the actress didn’t want to delve into this matter when talking about the memories she shared with the departed soul.

Later, Manoj Kumar went on to write and direct many hit films including Purab Aur Paschim (1970), Shor (1972), Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974) and Kranti (1981) among others. He was the recipient of a National Film Award and seven Filmfare Awards in varied categories.

Parekh believes that Manoj Kumar’s writing skills were unmatched as compared to his acting skills. “He had his own style of acting but I would say he was a great director, a great writer more than an actor. His camera work was mind-blowing. His passing away is a great loss to the film industry. I wish he had made more films,” says Parekh who was Manoj Kumar’s leading lady in his directorial debut Upkar that released in 1967. “He was a very good director. His camera placement was so good. The way he used to picturize songs, the way he used to conceive scenes …he was brilliant at it,” she says.

Parekh says she lost touch with him but she was pleasantly surprised to receive his message on her birthday last October. “I was really surprised on seeing his message but I was not well, I had lost my voice. I couldn’t call or talk to him. I couldn’t even reply to his birthday wish because I was very sick,” she says.

Reiterating Manoj Kumar’s knowledge about homeopathy, Parekh says that many people from the film industry would visit him for medical advice and treatment. “Manoj started homeopathy long back. I remember because my dear friend (Late) Shammi-ji’s shoulder had cracked and she was shooting in Punjab, this was sometime in the 70’s. She couldn’t stop the shoot midway and the pain was unbearable, so she called Manoj. He sent her the medicines and her bone healed. He was that good. So many industry people would go to him for medicines. I would often tell him – ‘Why don’t you write a book? He would say, ‘Theek hai, karna hai…’It would have helped millions of people,” she says.

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