Aruna Irani breaks silence on her bond with sister Bindu, reveals she always kept her distance because...

She may be known for lighting up the screen in over 500 films, but behind Aruna Irani's iconic performances lies a story few ever heard — until now. In a recent interview, the veteran actress peeled back the curtain on a past marked by distance, debt, and deep-rooted family disconnects.
Aruna revealed that despite sharing bloodlines with fellow actress Bindu, the two never shared warmth. 'Bindu is my cousin — her father was my step-grandmother's son. But we never really bonded. Our families never mixed,' she shared. The distance wasn't just emotional — it was economical too.
'My mother often had no money,' Aruna said candidly. 'She used to borrow Rs 30 or Rs 50 from Bindu's mother or my aunt Jyoti just so we wouldn't sleep hungry. I was the one sent to ask for it.' The financial strain not only fractured family ties but also left lasting emotional marks. Despite both actresses working in the same industry, they never collaborated onscreen — a silence shaped more by circumstance than choice.
Aruna's honesty is as raw as it is rare — a glimpse into the real toll of trying to make it big in a glittering world that often hides its cracks. She also admitted that some family members, including Bindu's father, director Nanu Bhai Desai, distanced themselves from her family due to their financial instability.
At the height of her stardom, Aruna Irani found herself entangled in rumours of an affair with a married actor — whispers that not only strained their bond but also cast a shadow over her career. Years later, she set the record straight, calling him a mentor and insisting they were nothing more than 'good friends'.
On the work front, Aruna Irani's career spans generations and genres. From Bobby, Caravan, and Bombay to Goa, to hits like Suhag, Raja Babu, Beta, and Judaai — she defined the quintessential character actress. Most recently, she was seen in Kesari Veer (2025), playing the role of Charan Jagdamba alongside Suniel Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, and Sooraj Pancholi.
A woman who played every role with perfection — turns out, her most powerful performance was off-screen, holding it all together when even Rs 30 was hard to come by.

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Indian Express

4 hours ago

• Indian Express

This Amitabh Bachchan heroine started working at the age of 9, faced crushing debt upon father's death, was not allowed to go to school

Aruna Irani has been acting for over 65 years now, but she began her journey because of financial pressures at home. Born in a family of eight siblings whose father became a gambling addict, Aruna Irani, the eldest of the lot, had to start earning at the age of nine and take care of her brothers and sisters growing up. 'There was a lot of poverty, but there was never a realization that we're poor. We were in our own world. That's why childhood is so wonderful: If you have a lot of money, you don't realize the abundance. And if don't have anything at all, you don't realize the paucity. We just wanted our stomachs to be full,' recalled Irani. On Kunickaa Sadanand's podcast, Irani revealed her father didn't keep well most of the time so her mother just about managed to get the house running. 'Some days, we just survived on plain rice. But we never complained. It felt delicious too. We just ate what we got and slept. It was a very nice childhood,' added Irani. Irani raised her seven siblings by working in films from the age of nine. She got them married and even helped start their businesses. 'God made me a strong woman. Good, I'm happy,' said Irani. 'When I was young and working, everybody would just ask, 'Would you like to go for coffee?' You knew what they really wanted. 'No, I don't drink coffee.' 'Oh, then have tea.' 'No, I don't drink either tea or coffee.' I used to respond with a smile. That's why Randhir Kapoor called me 'the river of no returns,'' said Irani. 'When I look back, I was an unpadh (educated) woman in that era. Even then, I survived and accomplished something. Today, girls are getting educated, but in my time, we were asked, 'Why do you need to study? Women only have to cook eventually.' Our father didn't educate us either. I forcefully got myself educated till fifth or sixth standard. He'd say, 'Now, you know ABCD, that's enough. Only your brothers will study now.' Because men had to study to get jobs,' Irani recalled. She said women are trained to just work like house help. Luckily, Aruna Irani was used as a backup actor in her father's drama company. Drama didn't have as much currency back as compared to films, which is why Irani wasn't getting a lot of work in theatre then. 'I was neither a child artiste nor a young woman who could get work in films. Those five to seven years in between were very dangerous. We faced a lot of problems then. My father wasn't keeping well either so he'd keep visiting hospitals,' said Irani. She said that her father then started betting on race horses. 'He used to think if he gets a jackpot, that'd solve all his problems. So whatever he had, he sold that off and betted on a horse. He even took loans from friends and I signed those papers just because my dad needed money. He lost everything,' recalled Irani. She added that when her father was on the death bed, the creditors sealed their house. 'We didn't know how we'd repay the money. It was a debt of Rs 8-8.5 lakh plus interest back then. I was barely 20 years old. All my siblings were very young. The one immediately younger than me had already gotten married,' said Irani. Aruna recalled how the family was bankrupt and there was a kurki (auction) of their house and everything they owned. She said that often people they owed money to will show up with policemen at their doorstep. She recalled how the creditors once turned up with the police when she was going for a shoot to Coimbatore. 'When I finally got work, these issues would happen. While in Coimbatore, me and my mother would keep worrying what would happen once we go back to Mumbai and where we'd get the money from. I'd barely get Rs 10,000 to 12,000 by working in a film then. That's how I gradually put together all the money and repaid the debt,' added Irani. 'My father always had a grudge that I'm a girl because I'm the eldest. If I was a boy, I'd have taken care of my siblings, mother, uncle, and his kids. The day he died, it was the best moment of my life when my father told me, 'Today, I'm very proud. Arun is my son, not my daughter. I'm content now that you'll take care of everyone.' I felt so great and nice,' said Irani. her big break was as Amitabh Bachchan's first heroine in Bombay to Goa. Irani is now married to filmmaker Kuku Kohli, but when they first fell in love, he was a married man. 'I still don't understand why that happened. It's like a one-way street which you can't go back in. Then the other one is also used to you, so he doesn't let you go. I tried a lot to take a step back, but it didn't happen,' confessed Irani. 'When you're lonely and you feel attracted towards someone, then you get carried away. Your head doesn't function properly. You just feel great that you're happy, but you forget how sad you're going to be later (laughs). You just take on what you're getting then. I tried a lot to get married elsewhere, but he didn't let me. As soon as he'd get to know, he'd not leave me for a second,' said Irani. Irani revealed she didn't have kids because she was already 40 by the time she got married. 'I'm a second wife's daughter. My dad married twice. He didn't have any kids from his first wife, which is why he married my mother. My father would tell my mother to tell me not to call him 'papa' in public because his first wife would object. Obviously, anyone would object. If I was in her shoes, I'd also object. I didn't like that,' said Irani. Also Read — Aruna Irani reveals she battled breast cancer twice, opens up about keeping it private: 'Everything doubles' She reasoned that she didn't want her kids to suffer the same way so she chose not to have kids at all. 'It's a new world now, but in the 1990s, it was still the same. Now, you can have kids even when you're not married. I laud Neena Gupta for her courage. I couldn't do that only for my child, not for me. I could face everyone, but my child shouldn't go through the same. Kids are very impressionable,' said Irani. Actor Neena Gupta got pregnant during her affair with cricketer Vivian Richards and gave birth to daughter, designer Masaba Gupta. 'And if I had a child, I'd have to sit home to look after them. You don't have a baby so that a maid can take care of them. You have to give complete time to your child,' said Irani.

India.com

a day ago

• India.com

Aruna Irani breaks silence on her bond with sister Bindu, reveals she always kept her distance because...

She may be known for lighting up the screen in over 500 films, but behind Aruna Irani's iconic performances lies a story few ever heard — until now. In a recent interview, the veteran actress peeled back the curtain on a past marked by distance, debt, and deep-rooted family disconnects. Aruna revealed that despite sharing bloodlines with fellow actress Bindu, the two never shared warmth. 'Bindu is my cousin — her father was my step-grandmother's son. But we never really bonded. Our families never mixed,' she shared. The distance wasn't just emotional — it was economical too. 'My mother often had no money,' Aruna said candidly. 'She used to borrow Rs 30 or Rs 50 from Bindu's mother or my aunt Jyoti just so we wouldn't sleep hungry. I was the one sent to ask for it.' The financial strain not only fractured family ties but also left lasting emotional marks. Despite both actresses working in the same industry, they never collaborated onscreen — a silence shaped more by circumstance than choice. Aruna's honesty is as raw as it is rare — a glimpse into the real toll of trying to make it big in a glittering world that often hides its cracks. She also admitted that some family members, including Bindu's father, director Nanu Bhai Desai, distanced themselves from her family due to their financial instability. At the height of her stardom, Aruna Irani found herself entangled in rumours of an affair with a married actor — whispers that not only strained their bond but also cast a shadow over her career. Years later, she set the record straight, calling him a mentor and insisting they were nothing more than 'good friends'. On the work front, Aruna Irani's career spans generations and genres. From Bobby, Caravan, and Bombay to Goa, to hits like Suhag, Raja Babu, Beta, and Judaai — she defined the quintessential character actress. Most recently, she was seen in Kesari Veer (2025), playing the role of Charan Jagdamba alongside Suniel Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, and Sooraj Pancholi. A woman who played every role with perfection — turns out, her most powerful performance was off-screen, holding it all together when even Rs 30 was hard to come by.

Time of India

a day ago

• Time of India

Bobby Deol shares some adorable moments from his dreamy vacation: See pictures

Recently, the 'Animal' actor was spotted casually talking on the phone in the picturesque location of London. Tanya Deol and Bobby Deol are taking a well-earned holiday together, and they're not going it alone! Close friends Shilpa Shetty and her husband Raj Kundra have been on vacation with them. With a group shot that went viral online, the Animal star gave fans a peek into their vacation. Taking to Instagram, Bobby posted a picture of himself, Tanya, Shilpa, and Raj. They were all grinning and wearing chic casuals as they enjoyed what appeared to be a tropical getaway. Fans recently caught sight of the Animal star when he was idly chatting on the phone outside a restaurant in London. They went up to the actor and requested his photos. Bobby Deol kindly complied and was spotted having fun taking photos with them. In a social media video that has gone viral, Bobby Deol is seen casually wearing black sneakers, olive green shorts, and a white vest outside a London restaurant. He was on the phone when a fan came up to take a selfie. Even though he was mid-call, the actor grinned and posed without hesitation. Another fan approached him shortly after. The moment was made even more memorable when Bobby generously posed for a picture after greeting her with grace. In the meantime, Bobby Deol posted a heartfelt dedication on Instagram a few days ago in honor of his son Aryaman Deol's 24th birthday. Bobby shared a candid picture of himself and his kid to mark the event, highlighting their close relationship and laid-back style. A sincere letter that exuded Bobby's love for his son was included with the photo. In the photo, they are wearing elegant yet casual clothing while enjoying a bright day. Bobby Deol included a brief but sincere statement with the photo, saying, 'Hey my Aryaman, Happy Birthday Love you most!" The photo appears to be from their vacation. Bobby Deol, who was last seen on the big screen in Daaku Maharaaj, is now working on his next film, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, which will include Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan directing for the first time. Bobby Deol is also engaged with filming Jana Nayagan, starring as the antagonist in Thalapathy Vijay's movie.