Aruna Irani

Biography

Aruna Irani (born 3 May 1946) is an Indian actress, who has acted in over 500 films throughout Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, and Gujarati cinema, playing mostly supporting and character roles.

 She received two Filmfare Awards for Best Supporting Actress for Pet Pyaar Aur Paap (1985) and Beta (1992), and holds the record for the most nominations in the category (10). 

In January 2012, Irani was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award at the 57th Filmfare Awards.

Aruna Irani was born in Mumbai, India to an Irani father and a Hindu mother. Her father Faredun Irani ran a drama troupe, and her mother Saguna was an actress. She is the eldest of eight siblings. She was fond of studies and wanted to become a doctor.

 But she had to give up her studies after the sixth standard because her family did not have enough money to educate all the children. She claims to have learned dancing while working in the films because she could not afford professional training from a master.

Her brothers Indra Kumar, Adi Irani, and Firoz Irani are all associated with the film industry. Actress Bindu is her cousin.

Aruna Irani made her debut in the film Gunga Jumna (1961) playing Azra's childhood character. She then acted in the film Anpadh (1962) as Mala Sinha's childhood character. 

She next did several small roles in films such as Jahanara (1964), Farz (1967), Upkar (1967), and Aaya Sawan Jhoomke (1969). She later acted with comedian Mehmood Ali in films such as Aulad (1968), Humjoli (1970), Devi (1970), and Naya Zamana (1971).

In 1971, she starred in Caravan, as a knife-thrower, earning her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She later starred in Mehmood Ali's Bombay To Goa (1972), Garam Masala (1972), and Do Phool (1973). 

Her films have included Farz (1967), Bobby (1973), Fakira (1976), Sargam (1979), Red Rose (1980), Love Story (1981), and Rocky (1981), earning nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Bobby and Rocky.

She also starred in Do Jhoot (1975) and Khoon Pasina (1977) which earned her two more nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

After having lost the award five times, she won her first Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Pet Pyaar Aur Paap (1984).

In the late 1980s and 1990s, Irani switched to playing motherly roles, notably in Beta (1992), for which she won her second Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She earned two more nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performances in Suhaag (1994) and Kartavya (1995). 

She acted in the Kannada remake of the same film with the same role. Some of her Marathi films are Aandhla Marto Dola, Bhingari, Changu Mangu, Lapwa Chapvi, Ek Gadi Baki Anadi, Mitwaa and Bol Baby Bol.

She earned her record-setting tenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Ghulam-E-Mustafa (1997).

In her later career, Irani also switched to television, performing character roles in various serials. She also took up the direction and production of teleserials such as Mehndi Tere Naam Ki, Des Mein Niklla Hoga Chand, Rabba Ishq Na Hove, Vaidehi, and more.

On 19 February 2012, she was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.

She is married to Bollywood film director Kuku Kohli