Honey Irani | |
|---|---|
) Honey Irani in 2018 | |
| Born | 25 August 1954 Bombay, Bombay State, India |
| Occupation | Actress, screenwriter |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Zoya Akhtar Farhan Akhtar |
| Relatives | Daisy Irani (sister) |
Honey Irani (born 25 August 1954) is an Indian film actress and screenwriter, who works in Hindi cinema. She started her career as a child actor with roles in films such as Mahesh Kaul’s Pyar ki Pyas. It is said that Mr.Kaul kept her at his home so she would be comfortable during the film’s shooting. She was probably four to five years old when the shooting of the movies Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan and Bombay Ka Chor started.
Background and personal life
Irani met the script-writer and poet Javed Akhtar on the sets of Seeta Aur Geeta. They were married on 21 March 1972. Her career as a child star had already ended and his career as a script-writer had not yet properly begun. They had no place to live, and were given a room in the house of Irani's older married sister Menaka. Their daughter Zoya Akhtar was born in 1972 and their son Farhan Akhtar in 1974. Irani became a devoted home-maker, but the marriage ended in divorce after her husband became involved with the actress Shabana Azmi in the mid-1970s.[1] The couple separated in 1978 and divorced in 1985. While Akhtar married Shabana Azmi in 1984, Irani devoted herself to the care of her two young children, who were six years and four years old respectively in 1978. She even started doing embroidery on sarees as a way of earning money to support her children. Eventually, she managed to make a second career for herself as a writer of film scripts. Both of Irani's children (son Farhan Akhtar and daughter Zoya Akhtar) grew up to be successful filmmakers in the Hindi film industry.[2]
Irani is the youngest of five siblings, others are Menka, Bunny, Sarosh, and Daisy Irani. Irani's oldest sister, Menaka, is married to the stunt film-maker Kamran Khan,[3] and is the mother of film-makers Sajid Khan and Farah Khan. Her other sister Daisy, who was also a famous child-star like herself,[4] was married (till his death) to screenwriter K.K. Shukla, and is the mother of three children.
Career
Honey Irani began her Bollywood career as a child actress with roles in films such as Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan and Bombay Ka Chor. She has acted in over 72 films.
After her divorce, she started doing embroidery on sarees to support her family. Though she had been writing short stories all this while, she never shared them. She narrated the story idea of Aaina (1993) to Pam Chopra, wife of Yash Chopra for a TV series, but he developed it into a film. Yash Chopra had also previously asked her to develop a story idea, which went on to become her debut as a screenwriter, Lamhe (1991), starring Sridevi. The film saw mediocre success, but she won the Filmfare Award for Best Story for the film and it paved her way for a successful career as screenwriter. She won the award again for Kya Kehna in 2002, besides winning Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay with Ravi Kapoor for the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai in 2001.[1]
Awards
| Year | Film | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Lamhe | Filmfare Award | Filmfare Award for Best Story | Won |
| 2001 | Kya Kehna | Filmfare Award | Filmfare Award for Best Story | Won |
| Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai | Filmfare Award | Filmfare Award for Best Screenplay | Won |
Partial filmography
Screenwriter
- Krrish 3 (2013)
- Har Pal (2007)
- Krrish (2006), screenplay
- Koi... Mil Gaya (2003), screenplay
- Armaan (2003), screenplay and story
- Albela (2001)
- Kya Kehna (2000)
- Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000), screenplay
- Laawaris (1999), screenplay and story
- Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai (1998), screenplay and story
- Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya (1997), story
- Suhaag (1994), screenplay
- Darr (1993), screenplay and story
- Aaina (1993), screenplay and story (also assistant dialogue writer)
- Parampara (1993 film), screenplay and story
- Lamhe (1991), screenplay and story
- Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge(Apparently the story of DDLJ was first narrated to the Chopras by Honey. Though Aditya Chopra ALONE is credited for this, she fell out with the Chopras over the lack of acknowledgement in the film. When Farhan Akhtar(Honey's Son) appeared on the show JEENA ISI KA NAAM HAI, a surprise guest was Uday Chopra with whom he had been childhood friends. It was supposedly a rapproachment gesture by the Chopras )
Actor
- Seeta Aur Geeta (1972), as Sheila
- Amar Prem (1971)
- Kati Patang (1970) as Manorama ("Munni")
- Chandi Ki Deewar (1964)
- Soorat Aur Seerat (1962)
- Amar Rahe Yeh Pyar (1961)
- Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan (1959)
- Qaidi No. 911 (1959)
- Pyar ki Pyas (1961) as Geeta.
- Zameen Ke Taare (1960).
- Masoom (1960).
Director
- Armaan (2003)
References
- ^ a b "Shabana and I are not sahelis". Filmfare. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ "Honey Irani – Sweet Taste of Success" Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, india-today.com; accessed 1 December 2014.
- ^ "'I told Shah Rukh." The Telegraph. 7 October 2007. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ Rana A. Siddiqui (22 May 2003). "Honey Irani... happy and sweet". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
External links
- Honey Irani at IMDb