Reem Kapadia

QAMYAB – THE FORGOTTEN GEMS OF BOLLYWOOD

Qamyab is our humble tribute to all those lesser-known actors, one hit wonders and junior artists who we see umpteen times but don’t know about; beyond their faces. These actors have been an integral part of Bollywood but didn’t get their due. This series is our sincere attempt to put a name to these faces, familiarize them to our readers and celebrate their achievements in life – however big or small. We believe that every artist contributes in his/her own way to the cinema’s success. Qamyab will explore the unknown lives of such actors and artists as we believe even these forgotten gems of Bollywood deserve their due recognition today.

Nepotism has its share of privileges as well as pitfalls. You get instant recognition as someone’s child or sibling but also bear the burden of equalling that person’s talent, if not surpassing it. In Bollywood, many actors have seen this pitfall of not meeting expectations like Tusshar Kapoor, Kumar Gaurav, Suniel Anand, Puru Rajkumar, etc. Another lesser-known actress who falls in this category is Dimple Kapadia’s younger sister Reem Kapadia.

Born in 1967 to Chunnibhai and Betty Kapadia, Reem’s real name was Reema but she shortened it later for films. She had two siblings, Dimple and Simple. Dimple had obviously made a big name for herself in Bollywood while Simple too had a brief stint in this industry after getting launched in Anurodh (1977) opposite superstar and her real-life brother-in-law Rajesh Khanna.

After dropping out of matriculation from St. Joseph Convent High School, Mumbai, Reem decided to pursue her acting dream. But unlike her sisters, she didn’t get a spectacular launch. Her Bollywood debut was the 1985 suspense thriller Haveli directed by Keshu Ramsay. Reem was cast opposite Rakesh Roshan in it with Mark Zuber, Aloka and Mazhar Khan in supporting roles.

Reem looked pretty and had exposed a lot in Haveli. Her role wasn’t that big though she was the main lead Rakesh Roshan’s love interest. The film was a murder mystery thriller but being a Ramsay directorial, was publicised as a horror flick. This went against it and Haveli turned out to be a box office flop which affected Reem’s career prospects.

Nevertheless, Reem managed to get the lead heroine role in Ravindra Peepat’s Lava (1985). She started preparing her character when suddenly one day, she was replaced from the film with her more saleable star sister Dimple Kapadia. This last-minute change is said to have affected Reem professionally as well as personally.

Next, a female version of the blockbuster Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) called Seeta Salma Suzy was announced which had Reem Kapadia alongside her sister Dimple and Salma Agha in the titular roles. Unfortunately, this film got temporarily shelved and was recast later with different actors. Reem lost another good opportunity. Another movie she lost out was titled Nasamajh which got made later with Sahila Chaddha in the lead.

Facing such ill luck on the acting front, Reem turned costume designer for a few films which featured Dimple Kapadia as the heroine. Shehzaade (1989) was one such big movie where she worked as a dress designer.

With her acting dream not materializing, Reem went in to a depression. She is also rumoured to have got hooked on to drugs. The ’90s saw her in the news for another bad reason. She was allegedly a part of an international sex scandal which involved certain famous businessmen as well. Nothing was proved eventually but these rumours dented Reem’s image irreparably.

On March 27, 1991, Reem Kapadia was found dead in her hotel room in London at the age of just twenty-four years. The post mortem suggested that she died of overdosing on sleeping pills. Over a period of time, Reem was totally forgotten. No one talked or even mentioned anything about her. Our humble tribute to this one film wonder who was just plain unlucky in life. May her soul rest in eternal peace!