Malika Askari – Bollywood character artist of yesterdays

Malika Askari is a former Bollywood actress who predominantly worked in the era of 1960s and 1970s. Bollywood star Mumtaz is her sister. She is married to wrestler and actor Randhawa, the brother of Dhara Singh. Her son Shaad Randhawa has also played supporting and negative roles in many movies since 1990s. Bollywood actor known for character and negative roles, Roopesh Kumar is her cousin. Malika Askari, best known by her screen name Mallika has donned both modern and village belle roles, and has also appeared in song and dance sequences.

Malika Askari with her real life husband Randhawa – A scene from the movie ‘Do Matwale’

As a film actress, some of her major roles are Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962), Mere Mehboob (1963), Arzoo (1965), Suraj (1966) and Humsaya (1968). She has shared screen space with almost all popular stars of 1960s and early 1970s, and played brief but memorable roles. Bazar in 1982 was one of her last appearances. She has appeared in more than 40 Bollywood films. She started her film journey as a child artist in 1955, and most of her releases of 1950s were uncredited ones.

Malika Askari – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. She shared screen space with her sister Mumtaz in several Bollywood movies like Roop Ka Mastana and Kathputhli. She played Mumtaz’s assistant/maid in Roop Ka Mastana and neighbour in Kathputhli. Interestingly Jeetendra played male lead in both.

2. She shared screen space with her husband in movies like Do Matwale (1966) and many more.

3. Through her marriage with wrestler Randhawa, Mumtaz became a close relative of Dhara Singh, with whom Mumtaz has done several hit B-grade action movies of 1960s, before she turned a big star. Incidentally these four have helped each other in their professional career, and shared screen space multiple times.

4. She appeared in several hit movies of actress Sadhana such as Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Mere Mehboob, Arzoo, Suraj etc.

5. Her roles in 1950s’s releases such as Dil Dekhe Dekho, Kismet, Talaaq etc were uncredited.

6. She is also credited with the names – Kumari Malika and Malka.

7. She is the maternal aunt of Natasha, who is married to Bollywood actor Fardeen Khan. Thus she is related to Feroz Khan and Sanjay Khan and their families.

8. She has two daughters – Shehnaz and Aalam, and one son. Aalam was married into a family of wrestlers. Shehnaz briefly dated Bollywood actor Kamal Sadanah in the mid-1990s.

9. In most of her films she was paired with comedians, which gives some comic relief to the audience, and often a duet song as well.

10. She married Randhawa in the 1970s after Mumtaz’s marriage and got settled with her family life. Her brother-in-law Mayur Madhvani is a successful businessman from Uganda.