Born in 1954 in Gujarat Parveen Babi was among the finest actresses Indian cinema has ever seen. Even two decades after her passing she continues to make headlines- whether for her iconic films or her timeless fashion sense that continues to inspire generations. Parveen Babi made her film debut with Chaitra (1973) opposite cricketer Salim Durrani. Although the film failed at the box office but her performance bought attention of various filmmakers. Her breakthrough came with Deewaar (1975) further cementing her position as a leading lady in Bollywood. Despite achieving immense success in her career Parveen Babis personal life was often surrounded by controversies. She was in a relationship with Danny Denzongpa for four years before dating Kabir Bedi and later Mahesh Bhatt. Born into a Muslim family she later converted to Christianity during the late 1990s. Despite her remarkable success Parveens life took a tragic turn in the early 1980s. She began showing signs of paranoid schizophrenia a severe mental disorder marked by erratic behaviour irritational fears and gradual withdrawal from public life. Babi’s paranoid schizophrenia not only destroyed her career but also her personal relationships. She left India and sought calm in the United States where she lived for a few years under the guidance of her spiritual teacher. During her final years Babis health began deteriorating and she became increasingly distrustful of everyone around her. On January 20 2005 Parveen Babi was found dead in her Mumbai apartment. A post-mortem was conducted at Cooper Hospital which declared the cause of her death as multiple organ failure. Her body was discovered three days after her death. Reportedly the actresss last wish was to be buried according to Christian rites but her Muslim relatives who claimed her body chose to burry her according to Islamic traditions. Parveen Babi story reflects the devastating effects of mental illness and the lack of support available during her time.