Kishore Kumar’s divine voice and Rajesh Khanna’s soulful character once again came alive on the screens of the Mackinage Palace Auditorium in Panaji with this evergreen song, and it was a golden moment for the audience. For yesteryear actress and heartthrob Asha Parekh, who played the lead character in the film and was also seen in the song, attending the screening of film Kati Patang brought down memories from the past filled with heartwarming moments. It was like going back. Kati Patang was screened in the Dadasaheb Phalke Award retro section of the 53rd International Film Festival of India. This section of IFFI this year is dedicated to Asha Parekh who is the winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2020.

Attending the screening and interacting with the representatives of the festival, Asha Parekh said that IFFI has grown over the years and it gives producers an opportunity to showcase and sell their films. He said, “I love my film industry. IFFI is the best place for film lovers as people from all over the country come together here. Asha Parekh thanked IFFI, NFDC and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for being honored.
Asha Parekh, who acted in several superhit films, was fondly called the ‘hit girl’ of Hindi cinema in the 1960s and 70s. Starting out as a child artist, Asha Parekh’s debut film was Dil Deke Dekho (1959), which became a huge hit that catapulted her to the heights of stardom. She acted in over 95 films, some with top filmmakers and leading actors of the time, such as Shakti Samant, Raj Khosla, Nasir Hussain, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Shammi Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Dev Anand and many others. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for Kati Patang (1971) and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (2002), among many other prestigious accolades. Asha Parekh is also a film director, producer and an accomplished Indian classical dancer.

Padma Shri (1992) awardee Asha Parekh also served as the chief of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) during 1998-2001.
Kati Patang, directed by Shakti Samanta, was based on Gulshan Nanda’s best-selling novel of the same title. In the film, the central character Madhavi (Asha Parekh) flies away like a kite on the day of her wedding with Kamal (Rajesh Khanna), only to learn of the nefarious intentions of her ‘boyfriend’ Kailash (Prem Chopra). Huh. Circumstances force Madhavi to take shelter in a house and pretend to be the daughter-in-law of that house. The real daughter-in-law Poonam (Naz) dies in a train accident, but before dying she hands over her child to Madhavi. The story of the film further traces the life of Madhavi, how she starts living with a false identity. The film is also best remembered for bringing together composer RD Burman and superstar Rajesh Khanna. In this film ‘Yeh Shaam Mastani’, ‘Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai’ .