Veteran actress Hema Malini recently looked back on her time working with the late and iconic star Parveen Babi, with whom she shared screen space in several films. One of their most notable collaborations was the 1981 action-packed historical epic Kranti, where they acted alongside film greats like Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, and Shashi Kapoor.
In a candid chat, Hema recounted a memorable moment from the very first day on set—a sword-fighting scene that went unexpectedly wrong and left Parveen with a minor injury.
In an interview with HT City, Hema recalled, “Parveen Babi was part of the cast in Kranti. On day one, we had to shoot a scene that involved a choreographed sword fight. She was a lovely, gentle person. However, the action director kept pushing us to perform the scene more intensely. During the take, she accidentally got hurt—she suffered a small cut on her hand. I was absolutely shocked and shaken by what happened.”
Hema went on to explain that even though the sword wasn’t real, its edges were sharp enough to cause harm, especially to someone as delicate as Parveen. “It wasn’t a real weapon, just something with pointed sides. Parveen was a sensitive, fragile person. When she got injured, I was extremely anxious. I felt so guilty that everyone on set started comforting me instead. That incident was the beginning of our strong friendship,” she added, smiling at the memory.
The legendary actress also touched upon the belief that surrounded such accidents in those days. According to her, the atmosphere on set quickly changed after the incident—because there was a popular superstition that if someone shed blood on the first day of shooting, it meant the movie would become a huge success.
“They used to say, ‘If someone bleeds, it’s a sign the film will become a hit.’ Of course, I didn’t do it intentionally—it just happened by chance. But it became one of those unforgettable moments. With over 200 films in my career, each one brings back a flood of memories. The songs, the people, the stories—they’re all special,” Hema said, reflecting warmly.
As history would have it, Kranti, which also featured major stars such as Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha along with Hema Malini and Parveen Babi, went on to become a massive blockbuster. It didn’t just succeed; it turned out to be the biggest box office triumph of 1981 and emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the decade, solidifying its place in Indian cinema history.
In a candid chat, Hema recounted a memorable moment from the very first day on set—a sword-fighting scene that went unexpectedly wrong and left Parveen with a minor injury.
In an interview with HT City, Hema recalled, “Parveen Babi was part of the cast in Kranti. On day one, we had to shoot a scene that involved a choreographed sword fight. She was a lovely, gentle person. However, the action director kept pushing us to perform the scene more intensely. During the take, she accidentally got hurt—she suffered a small cut on her hand. I was absolutely shocked and shaken by what happened.”
Hema went on to explain that even though the sword wasn’t real, its edges were sharp enough to cause harm, especially to someone as delicate as Parveen. “It wasn’t a real weapon, just something with pointed sides. Parveen was a sensitive, fragile person. When she got injured, I was extremely anxious. I felt so guilty that everyone on set started comforting me instead. That incident was the beginning of our strong friendship,” she added, smiling at the memory.
The legendary actress also touched upon the belief that surrounded such accidents in those days. According to her, the atmosphere on set quickly changed after the incident—because there was a popular superstition that if someone shed blood on the first day of shooting, it meant the movie would become a huge success.
“They used to say, ‘If someone bleeds, it’s a sign the film will become a hit.’ Of course, I didn’t do it intentionally—it just happened by chance. But it became one of those unforgettable moments. With over 200 films in my career, each one brings back a flood of memories. The songs, the people, the stories—they’re all special,” Hema said, reflecting warmly.
As history would have it, Kranti, which also featured major stars such as Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Shatrughan Sinha along with Hema Malini and Parveen Babi, went on to become a massive blockbuster. It didn’t just succeed; it turned out to be the biggest box office triumph of 1981 and emerged as one of the highest-grossing films of the decade, solidifying its place in Indian cinema history.
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