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Simi Garewal

Simi Garewal or Simi Grewal (born 17 October 1947) is an Indian actress.

Early life

Simi Grewal was born in Ludhiana Distt of Punjab, into a Garewal Jat-Sikh family, her father was a brigadier in the army. She grew up in England and consequently had an English accent.

Film and television career

Simi Garewal’s first role was in the English-language film Tarzan Goes to India in 1962, alongside Feroz Khan. She returned to India as a teenager to become an actress and had to learn Hindi. In the 1960s and ’70s she played in Indian films, working with leading directors such as Raj Khosla in Do Badan, Raj Kapoor in Mera Naam Joker (1970), Satyajit Ray in Aranyer Din Ratri (Days and Nights in the Forest) and Mrinal Sen in Padatik (The Guerilla Fighter). She also starred in Columbia Pictures’ Siddhartha, based on the novel by Herman Hesse, a role in which Garewal did a nude scene that caused some controversy in India.

In the mid 1970s, she made an appearance in the popular film Kabhi Kabhie (1976), made by her brother-in-law Yash Chopra, and had a starring role in Chalte Chalte (1976).

She made a strong impression as a vamp in Karz (1980). She also starred in the BBC docu-drama Maharajas (1987), based on the book by Charles Allen. But in the early eighties her attention turned to writing and direction, forming her own production company, Siga Arts International. She hosted, produced and directed a TV series for Doordarshan called It’s a Woman’s World (1983). She also made a documentary for Channel 4 in the UK called Living Legend Raj Kapoor (1984). This was followed by her three-part documentary on Rajiv Gandhi titled India’s Rajiv which also received international acclaim. She also wrote and directed a Hindi feature film Rukhsat and produced television commercials, for which she won the 1st Prize from the 1988 Paters Award in Australia.

Today, Garewal anchors the talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, now in its tenth year. She won the (1999) Screen Awards for Best Talk Show & Best Anchor, the RAPA (2001) Award for Best Anchor & Talk show. Followed by Indian Television Academy Award (2003) for Best Anchor, the Rotary Award (2003) for Vocational Excellence in Media & Television, also the Indian Filmgoers Association Award (2004) Best Talk Show, among many others.

She usually wears her signature white clothes on TV shows and at award ceremonies, and is popularly known as “The Lady in White”. Garewal recently appeared on Say Shava Shava 2008 as a host and judge. After the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008, Simi Garewal caused a storm of criticism in India and abroad by publicly calling for the Indian government to “carpet-bomb” its nuclear-armed neighbour, Pakistan. She was slated to make a “comeback” into Hindi films as herself in the upcoming movie Shortkut: The Con Is On as herself, where she was to be interviewing Arshad Warsi, who plays a struggler-turned-a self proclaimed superstar in this movie. However, as per latest reports, her role has been edited out in the final cut of the film after keeping in mind the film’s length.

Personal life

Simi Garewal was married but is separated.

Selected filmography

• Short Kut: The Con Is On (2009)
• Rukhsat (1988) …. Radha Talwar
• Love and God (1986) (as Simmi Garewal) …. Ghazala
• Haathkadi (1982) …. Pammi Mittal
• Teri Meri Kahani (1982) (TV) …. Meena Sastry/Seema
• Biwi O Biwi (1981) …. Nisha
• Professor Pyarelal (1981) …. Rita
• Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980 film) (as Simi) …. Lady Lawyer
• Karz (1980) …. Kamini Verma
• The Burning Train (1980) …. School-teacher
• Ahsaas (1979) …. Asha Choudhry
• Abhi To Jee Lein (1977) …. Miss Mahajan (Lecturer)
• Kabhi Kabhie – Love Is Life (1976) …. Shobha Kapoor
• Chalte Chalte (1976) …. Geeta
• Naach Uthe Sansaar (1976) …. Somu
• Haath Ki Safai (1974) …. Roma S. Kumar
• Namak Haraam (1973) …. Manisha
• Padatik (1973) …. Woman Who Shelters Activist
• Siddhartha (1972) …. Kamala
• Anokhi Pehchan (1972)
• Seema (1971 film)
• Do Boon Pani (1971) …. Gauri
• Andaz (1971) …. Mona
• Aranyer Din Ratri (1970) (as Simi Garowal) …. Duli
• Mera Naam Joker (1970) …. Mary
• Ek Raat (1968)
• Saathi (1968 film) (as Simi) …. Rajni
• Aadmi (1968) (as Simmi) …. Aarti
• Do Badan (1966) (as Simmi) …. Dr. Anjali
• Johar-Mehmood in Goa (1965) (as Simmi) …. Simmi
• Teen Devian (1965) (as Simi) …. Simi/Radha Rani
• Tarzan Goes to India (1962) (as Simi) …. Princess Kamara
• Son of India (1962) …. Lalita
• Raaz Ki Baat (1962) …. Kamal

Director:

• “Rendevouz with Simi Garewal” (1999) TV series …. Presenter (unknown episodes)
• “India’s Rajiv” (1991) TV mini-series
• Rukhsat (1988)

Writer:

• “Rendevouz with Simi Garewal” (1999) TV series (unknown episodes)

Self:

• Naseeb (1981) (as Simi) …. Herself

Awards and nominations

• 1966-Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in Do Badan
• 1968-Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in Saathi
• 1980-Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role in Karz

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