Key Points

The 'Padosan' actress penned on her official Instagram handle, "My beloved mother, Pari Chehra, was the brightest ple star, rather, she was a constellation in her own right. The first female superstar of Indian cinema, she lit up the screen with a charm that captivated millions. But behind that legendary beauty and fame was a soul rooted in resilience, grace, and boundless love."

Saira Banu recalled how her mother took on the role of a protector for her grandmother, herself, and her brother at the tender age of sixteen.

"We were a family of four my grandmother Shamshad Abdul Waheed Khan, her sister Khurshid Begum, my elder brother Sultan Ahmed, and me. Life brought us face-to-face with hardship early on. At just sixteen, Appaji stepped into the role of our protector and guide. With a strength far beyond her years, she nurtured us with love and gave us the wings to rise," she went on to say.

Shedding light on her cinematic journey, she revealed, "Her cinematic journey began with Sohrab Modi’s Pukar, where she portrayed Empress Noorjahan. The impact was so powerful that audiences would remove their shoes before entering the cinema as if stepping into a real Mughal court. Icons like Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan have called her the most beautiful woman they had ever seen."

Sharing how her mother helped shape her path, Saira Babu added, "But her beauty wasn’t just skin-deep. It was in her spirit how she balanced tradition and modernity with grace. Though we were educated in London, she kept us firmly rooted in our Indian heritage. Every summer was spent in Bombay or Delhi, reconnecting with our roots. When I chose cinema over further studies, it was her creative vision that shaped my path. She played a pivotal role in styling Junglee, redefining cinematic fashion, and revolutionizing make-up in Indian cinema innovations that became milestones in my career"

"And then came this day, June 18, 2002, the day my radiant queen left us, casting us into the darkest gloom of a life without her light," she concluded recalling the horrific day she lost her mother.

- IANS