Natural actor Salim Durani shared his birthday with Dilip Kumar-sahab’ -- ’Charitra’ film dir B R Ishara had pointed out to me. --- by Chaitanya  Padukone        

Only two days ago  (April 2^nd ) India’s  ‘Arjuna Award’ winner  veteran iconic cricketer-star-batsman and bowler  ( and lead movie-actor) Salim Durani passed away at the age of 88.  Two days later ( April 4^th) it’s his ‘Charitra’ movie debut heroine’s legendary Parveen Babi’s  69^th birth anniversary . Strange coincidence !  Ajeeb ittefaq hai  !   Way back in 1985-86 I had met  B R Ishara, the star-maker director of ‘Charitra’  for a media-interview.  “Babu-Da’ Ishara,  (as he was fondly called) had this God-gifted genius  to spot new promising talent and give them acting breaks in his movies.

It was daring-rebel  Ishara, who launched an unknown college-girl and aspiring model  from Junagadh  (Gujarat)  called Parveen Babi in his bold-subject movie ‘Charitra’(1973). Now Babu-da had the guts and conviction to launch Parveen  opposite a celebrity batsman-bowler  excellent cricketer  Salim Durani, who was not a regular professional  actor and not from a filmy family.

Gorgeous stunning Parveen  Babi  went on to emerge an international celebrity star-actress with over  18 landmark mega-hit movies and over  27 chartbuster evergreen filmy songs to her credit.  An outspoken down-to-earth by nature ‘Babu-da  exclusively shared with me, that he found  “charismatic star-quality in both his ‘Charitra’ movie discovery Parveen Babi and in  tall, handsome debonair cricketer Salim Durani.  With his  photogenic looks,  Salim has screen-presence . By  divine coincidence,  spontaneous, natural actor Salim shares his birthday (Dec  11^th)  with that of legend Dilip Kumar-saab , ” Ishara had disclosed to me.

When the film ‘Charitra’ was launched, heroine Parveen Babi being a newcomer was initially not famous.  But Salim was already mmensely popular as a smart, flamboyant mega-star winner cricketer  who ( as a left-handed spin-bowler)  would take wickets and ( as a left-handed batsman) hit fours and sixers on public-farmaaish from the spectators stands.

Blessed with good looks and an enticing personality, Durani was a favourite of the masses and one of the first Indian cricketers to get into modeling and endorse products. Soon, this got extended to movie offers.

Actually much prior to Charitra, in  1969, Durani  made his film debut with back ‘n’white  film ‘Ek Masoom’  directed by Khalid Akhtar  where he was cast opposite Tanuja. The film also starred Jagdeep, Abhi Bhattacharya, Prem Chopra, and Helen. In 1973, when his international cricket career was fading out, he returned to the silver screen for his second and final performance.

In Charitra (1973) the bold subject movie during the climax scene,  reacting to heroine  Parveen Babi, hero  Salim Durani  delivers this impactful dialogue   “Zindagi ki sabse badi tragedy yahi hai,  ki log Devta ko pehchaante hai, Shaitaan ko pehchaante hain, lekin Insaan ko nahi (Life’s biggest tragedy is that people recognise and value Gods, and Demons, but not Humans.”