Prema Narayan – Actress best known for her dancing roles on Bollywood screen

Prema Narayan is a former Bollywood actress, model and beauty pageant winner who was associated with film industry in the 1970s and 1980s. A model turned actress, she was Femina Miss India World 1971 (first runner up). She later represented India in 1971 Miss World contest, and also was crowned 1st runner-up at Queen of the Pacific pageant held in Australia. She played supporting and dancer roles in many Bollywood movies, and ‘Amanush’, ‘Ghar’, ‘Manzilein Aur Bhi Hai’ and ‘Maa Bahen Aur Biwi’ are among her noted performances. . She received a Filmfare nomination for best supporting actress for her role in 1976 movie, Amanush.

Runner-up of Miss India 1971 beauty pageant 

Prema Narayan hails from Andhra Pradesh and was born in 1951. Later she moved to Mumbai, where she worked as an English teacher in a convent. She also did part-time modeling, and participated in Miss India contest 1971, where she finished second. She represented India at Miss World 1971 beauty pageant and was misplaced. Her success in modeling career earned her acting roles from Bollywood, which she accepted. She also appeared in the cover pages of almost all leading fashion and film magazines then.

She mostly played dancer roles on screen and was identified as a sex symbol

She mostly received supporting and dancing roles and got type casted in this kind of roles. She was first offered a role by B. R. Ishara, which she refused because of his “reputation”. In 1974 she marked her screen debut with Ma, Bahen Aur Biwi in a lead role opposite Kabir Bedi. But the movie went unnoticed. She was paired with Bedi for the next film, Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain directed by debutante Mahesh Bhatt. The film based on the controversial theme of prostitution was not initially given censor certificate.

After that she mostly received supporting roles, mostly glamorous ones, and she was a part of movies like Amanush, Jab Andhera Hota Hai, Balika Vadhu, Satte Pe Satta, Mera Damad, Nagin, Ustadi Ustad Se, Umrao Jaan, Ghar, Ratnadeep, Mukti, Pataal Bhairavi, Sweekar Kiya Maine, Pyaar Ka Mandir, Jhoothi, Lahu Ke Do Rang (1979), Surakshaa (1979), Barsaat Ki Ek Raat, Romance, Baazi, Justice Chaudhary, Biwi O Biwi etc.

Though she played village belle and sizzling lady on screen entertaining audiences of different tastes, she couldn’t achieve that stature in Bollywood which she dreamt of. Though she was hard working she never made up to the top. She was best known as a sex symbol then. She later married a lawyer in the late 1980s and settled with family. The couple has two sons.

Prema Narayan – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. Bollywood actress Anita Guha is her maternal aunt, and Bengali actress Mithu Mukherjee who has done a few Bollywood movies too, is her cousin. Her mother’s name is Anuradha Guha.

2. She appeared as a hot girl in several B-grade masala movies of Bollywood.

3. She was one of the early models of Indian modeling industry who joined films.

4. Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain was the debut movie of Mahesh Bhatt as a director, where Prema played the role of a prostitute, and the movie was way ahead of times then.

5. She was engaged to actor Benjamin Gilani. But marriage didn’t happen. She also had a rumored affair with Boney Kapoor.

6. Do Ladke, Dono Kadke was her first venture in a comic role. She also appeared in Bhojpuri films.