Farha Naaz

Biography

Farah Naaz Hashmi, commonly credited as Farah, is a leading Bollywood actress of the mid-1980s and early 1990s. She is the elder sister of Tabu.

Farah made her debut in Faasle in 1985 under the Yash Chopra films banner. She was one of the prominent actresses in Bollywood in the late eighties and early nineties. She was paired with Prosenjit Chatterjee in the 1989 Bengali movie Aamar Tumi. 

Farha's landmark films were Naseeb Apna Apna (1986), Imaandaar (1987), Woh Phir Aayegi, Naqab (1989), Yateem (1988), Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri (1990), Begunaah (1991), Bhai Ho To Aisa (1995) and Sautela Bhai (1996). She also did three films with Rajesh Khanna.

She retired from acting in 1996 after her first marriage, though she later did a few television serials. She worked with almost all of the top actors of her time, including Rajesh Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Aamir Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Govinda and Aditya Pancholi.

Farah made her debut in 1985 with Yash Chopra's Faasle opposite Mahendra Kapoor's son Rohan Kapoor Although Faasle was a disaster, Farah got many other big offers such as Shakti Samanta's Palay Khan, K.C. Bokadia's Naseeb Apna Apna and Pran Lal Mehta's Love 86.

She was part of hits such as Marte Dam Tak, Naseeb Apna Apna, Love 86, Imaandaar, Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani, Diljalaa, Rakhwala, Woh Phir Aayegi, Veeru Dada, Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri and Begunaah

J.P. Dutta's Yateem got her critical acclaim, and it was one of her performance-oriented roles, along with films such as Hamara Khandaan, Kaarnama, Naqaab, Khatarnaak, and Pati Patni Aur Tawaif, although they were commercial failures. Her performances in the hit films – Woh Phir Aayegi and Begunaah were critically acclaimed.

Farah then started playing supporting roles in films such as Muqabla, Dhartiputra, and Izzat Ki Roti. Muqabla was very successful, but later, her other films between 1993 and 1996 were not successful, though Sautela Bhai was a commercial hit and critically acclaimed.

She later switched to television and did serials such as Amar Prem, Andaz, Ahaa (all three produced by Himesh Reshammiya), Vailayiti Babu, Angan, Ardhangini, Aurat Teri Yehi Kahani and Papa. Farah was also planning a mega serial called Taqdeer, but she shelved the project. She then acted in 2004 in Hulchul.

Farah married actor Vindu Dara Singh in 1996, with whom she has a son Fateh Randhawa (b.1997). The couple divorced in 2002. She later remarried fellow Bollywood and television actor Sumeet Saigal in 2003.