#GoldenFrames: Aruna Irani, an actor with calibre

Aruna Irani was born on August 18, 1946, to Faredun Irani and Saguna in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She is the eldest of eight siblings—Indra Kumar, Adi Irani and Firoz Irani are all associated with the film industry. She has played characters ranging from heroine to vamp in more than 300 movies in different languages, including Hindi and Gujarati cinema. The actress holds the record for winning the most nominations. She won her first Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for the movie 'Pet Pyaar Aur Paap' (1984), followed by her second win—Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for the movie 'Beta' (1992). Aruna Irani accepted Filmfare's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Aruna's father, Faredun Irani, ran a drama troupe, while her mother, Saguna, was an actress. Aruna Irani was a topper at school and wanted to be a doctor. Being the eldest of eight children, she had to give up studies after the sixth standard because her family did not have enough money to educate all the children. She didn't give up—the actress bought a small Oxford dictionary for ₹3.75 and referred to it every time she heard a new word.

In This Pic : goldenframes, Aruna Irani

The actress's family was approached by a supplier in Soonawala colony, Tardeo, where they lived. Amongst other children, Aruna, who was busy drinking cola and eating potato chips during the audition, was spotted by Dilip Kumar. He asked her if she would like to work with him in a movie. She agreed, and the rest is history.

In This Pic : goldenframes, Aruna Irani

At the age of nine, Aruna got her first role as a child artist in the movie 'Gunga Jumna' (1961).

(Photo: Still from the movie 'Gunga Jumna')

In This Pic : goldenframes, Aruna Irani

Following her first release, she worked in a dozen movies like 'Anpadh' (1962) and 'Parasmani' (1963). However, she reached a phase where she didn't fit the roles as an adult nor a child.

(Photo: Still from the movie 'Parasmani')

In This Pic : goldenframes, Aruna Irani