Earlier this month, veteran actress Asha Parekh made headlines when she stated that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's remark that she "chased" him for the Padma Bhushan was hurtful. In 2016, the Minister for Road Transport and Highways had said Parekh approached him seeking recommendation for the prestigious award. In an interview to IANS, the actress had said, "It did hurt me. It was not the right thing for him to do. But I took it with a pinch of salt. It didn't matter to me... Controversies are a part of the film industry."
The veteran star and Padma Shri awardee has now stated in her recently published memoir The Hit Girl that her meeting with the minister was indeed the "worst mistake" of her life.
For those who came in late, while addressing an event in Nagpur, Gadkari claimed that the actress approached him seeking a recommendation for the Padma Bhushan. In an interview to Hindustan Times, he said, ““(We) receive so many letters for (recommending) Padmashree and Padma Bhushan. I have sent around thousand recommendations until now. So many people now want Padmashree and Padma Bhushan. One actress met me, she has turned old...Asha Parekh. She came to meet me in Mumbai. The lift to my residence was not working, she climbed up 12 floors, I felt very bad. I asked her why she took the trouble.”
To this Parekh had apparently replied that Parekh received the Padma Shri and also wanted the Padma Bhushan. Going by a report in India Today, Gadkari had said that Padma Shri was like the Padma Bhushan. However, Parekh disagreed and insisted on her contribution to Indian cinema.
Parekh wasn’t selected for the recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
According to a new report in the Telegraph, Parekh, recalls a completely diverse version in her memoirs.
In her interview to Telegraph, Parekh said, "The first question he asked me was, 'How old are you?' Taken aback I replied, 'I am 72, sir' after which he said abruptly, 'Okay fine, go. I will recommend your case for the title of Padma Bhushan'."
Parekh showed no qualms in saying that it is impossible for her to climb 12 flights of stairs, and that the elevator was working fine.
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