Remembering Pearl Padamsee, one of the finest actresses of Indian screen and theatre, on her 18th death anniversary.

Pearl Padamsee was a theatre personality — as a stage actress, director and producer — of English language theatre in Mumbai. She also acted a few Hindi and English language films. She will be remembered for her delightful roles in films like Khatta Meetha, Baaton Baaton Mein, Junoon ((where she made a cameo appearance), Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, and Such a Long Journey.

Her peers remember her as a theatre visionary, loved for her energy and vindaloo. To the rest, she will always be that sweet old Parsi woman in Khatta Meetha . In the 1960s, she ventured into professional acting, and directed and produced plays. In 1977, She made a superb debut in the film Khatta Meetha. In ‘Baaton Baaton Mein’, Pearl padamsee delivered a great and absolutely natural performance. Remember the song “Uthe sabke kadam tara ram pam pam” picturised on Amol Palekar, Tina Munim and Pearl Padamsee?. She had also lent her voice in this song.

The first wife of ad and theatre guru Alyque Padamsee, Pearl was associated with some of the best-known stage productions in Bombay — Princess, Don’t Drink The Water, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Taming Of The Shrew, Godspell, Betrayal being some of them.

She died of a cardiac arrest on April 24, 2000 at the age of 69.

Follow Bollywoodirect