Padma Khanna is a veteran Indian actress best known for her role as ‘Kaikei’ in Ramanand Sagar’s epic TV series ‘Ramayana’.
Wiki/Biography
Padma Khanna was born on Thursday, March 10, 1949 in Patna, Bihar (now 74 years old, 2023). She spent most of her childhood in Varanasi. At the age of seven, she started learning Kathak dance.
An old photo of Padma Khanna at her residence in Mumbai
Family and caste
Parents and siblings
There is not much information available about her parents and siblings.
Relationships, husbands and children
Padma Khanna was married to late film director Jagdish L. Sidana. They got married in 1986.
Padma Khanna and her husband
She has a daughter, Neha Sidana, and a son, Akshar Sidana.
Padma Khanna with her husband and children
Profession
Movie
She made her acting debut in the Bollywood film ‘Bhaiya’ in 1961 at the age of twelve. After that, she acted in another Bollywood film ‘Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo’ (1962).
Padma Khanna’s performance in the Bhojpuri film Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo
Padma also has many Bhojpuri films to her name like Bidesiya (1963), Balam Pardesia (1979) and Mai (1989). She made her Bollywood debut with the film Biwi Aur Makaan (1966).
However, she rose to fame after starring in the Bollywood film Johny Mera Naam (1970), in which she played a hot and gorgeous cabaret dancer.
Padma Khanna as Johny Mera Naam
Padma Khanna starred in many of the more popular Bollywood films such as Pakeezah (1972), Saudagar (1973) and Hera Pheri (1976). In 1977, she starred in her only Gujarati film, Gher Gher Matina Chula.
Padma Khanna made her Punjabi debut with the film Jindri Yaar Di (1978).
She also acted in another Punjabi film, Sher Puttar (1978). She made her Marathi film debut in the film Devta (1983), in which she made a cameo appearance in the song “Khel Kunala Daivacha Kalala”.
In 1986, she acted in another Marathi film, Maaficha Sakshidar, in which she made a cameo appearance and sang the song “Shama Ne Jab Aag”.
television
She made her television debut in Ramanand Sagar’s epic television series Ramayan (1987), in which she played the role of “Kaikeyi”, one of the queens of Raja Dashrath (played by Bal Dhuri). Her performance as Kaikeyi in Ramayan made her a household name in India.
Padma Khanna as Kaikeyi in Ramayana
Facts/Trivia
- It was actresses Padmini and Vijayanti Mara who encouraged her to move to Mumbai to pursue a career in films. Talking about this, Padma said,
I started learning Kathak at the age of seven and dancers like Padmini and Vyjayanthimala came up with the idea of coming to Mumbai.”
- When her first Bollywood film flopped at the box office, she returned to her hometown of Varanasi. Later, on Gopi Krishna’s insistence, she came to Mumbai again. She said,
I could not adjust to the film scene, so I returned to Benares. A few months later, on Gopi Krishna Bhaiya’s insistence, I came back again and this time I decided to stay.”
- Padma Khanna played the double for Meena Kumari in Pakeezah (1972).
- She rose to fame with her collaboration with Amitabh Bachchan in Saudagar (1973).
Padma Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan perform in Saudagar
- In the initial days of her career, she mainly played gentle village girl roles in films like “Saaz Aur Awaz”, “Baharon Ke Sapne”, “Aashirwad”, “Rahgir” and “Heer Ranjha”.
- After her role in Johny Mera Naam, she was typecast in seductive/villain roles throughout her acting career in the 70s and 80s.
- She has acted in more than 400 films in different languages.
- She left showbiz after marrying Jagdish L. Sidana in 1986. (Patrika)
- Currently, Padma lives in New Jersey, USA and runs the “Indianica Dance Academy” in Iselin, New Jersey.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education