Biografia

2 marzo 1932 · Bombay, India

14 agosto 2013 · Mumbai

Sister Shirin Banu is the mother of director Mahesh Bhatt and producer Mukesh Bhatt as well as grandmother of actresses Pooja Bhatt and her step sister Alia Bhatt.

Grandson is Bollywood's successful actor Emraan Hashmi. Purnima's son from her first marriage, Anwar Hashmi, is Emraan's father, making Bhagwan Das Varma, Purnima's spouse from her second marriage, Emraan Hashmi's step grandfather.

Son Anwar Hashmi is a character actor known for Baharon Ki Manzil (1968).

Sister Shirin Banu was an actress known for films such as Chata Purja (1932), Leatherface (1939) and Bijli (1939).

Our yesteryear image that is there in the minds of the people, it is better that it stays that way. What's the need to show them our today and to paint a picture of our present just to shatter their image of us.

I worked as a heroine and second lead in about 20 successful films of our time...and then in the year 1954 I married Producer-Director Bhagwan Das Varma and said my goodbyes to acting. But then suddenly times changed and our financial condition deteriorated. Our condition was such that I had to even sell my own bungalow. This was the same place where today Vijay Anand's Ketnav Studio stands.

The second innings of my career started with the film Chamak Chandni (1957) which was a costume drama. Because my main aim was to earn money, I did whatever work that came my way. I did many good-bad films like Baghi Sipahi (1958), Jang Bahadur (1958), Post Box 999 (1958), Son of Sinbad (1958), Jawani Ki Hawa (1959), Kangan (1959), Madam XYZ (1959), College Girl (1960) and Gambler (1960) as the main or second lead and then slowly and steadily I just didn't realize how I had become a character artist.

With my increasing age, as I began to tire out while working, with the film Sadaa Suhagan (1986), where Jeetendra, Rekha and Govinda were playing the lead roles, I [began] my farewell to acting forever.

I am most proud of the fact that today my grandson has become a star in front of my eyes and nothing makes me prouder than the fact that now people don't know me as Purnima but instead they know me as Star Emraan Hashmi's grandmother.