Simi Garewal

Esteemed actress and television host Simi Garewal went with an emotional farewell as she lost Ratan Tata at 86. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), she spoke, “Too hard to bear your loss. too hard. Goodbye, my heart. Goodbye, my friend. #RatanTata.” This was a very short-lived relationship, but it was a lifelong friendship that bloomed into mutual respect and admiration. In an interview with Simi, in 2011, she showed how much she appreciated the pure character of Ratan stating he is “perfection,” modest, and a true gentleman; money was never his driving motive. She depicted him as a first friend after her Mumbai return since she came, sharing experiences with him for both new challenges to which she’s exposed to and all the experiences they would spend days enjoying together. It’s as if Simi recalls the episodes Ratan came forth through his several decades of triumph-mostly for humility and integrity he displayed during his appearance on her popular talk show, Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. Here in this tribute, she reminds us of his graciousness: “Decades of triumphs later, Ratan’s intrinsic personality hadn’t changed: a man with a commanding presence yet a disarming diffidence.”

Humble and down to earth, this beauty queen popularly known as Simi Garewal has set bench mark in Indian film and television industry. Most famous for her star talk show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, she had long interviews with celebrities where she could engage with the stars of Bollywood. She was born on 17th of October 1947 in Ludhiana, India, she was brought up in England though she went back to India where she lead a colorful lifestyle in entertainment.

Early Life and Career

Simi was born and grew up in England and she was brought to Newland House School together with, her sister, Amrita. She soon managed to speak fluent English for which she was given a chance for shooting in her first film Tarzan Goes to India (1962) opposite Feroz Khan. While this film was not successful she was beautiful and she acted brilliantly to get the attention of the audience. She continued to act in many successful movies that were highly appreciated by critics such as Mera Naam Joker (1970), then Karz (1980) and Siddhartha (1972) and even worked with the directors like Raj Kapoor and Satyajit Ray.
Television no less proved successful for her and Rendezvous with Simi Garewal where she invited celebrities, asked questions and extracted intimate but decent details about their personal lives. Her white costume which reflected her elegance and innocence came to be known as hall mark, “The Lady in White”.

Childhood and First Film

Simi Garewal age is 73 years old now and she is originally from Ludhiana, Punjab. She had been raised in England for a significant part of her childhood and this translated her style and persona from the rest of her counterparts in India. Being a complete English speaker, she was first discovered, speaking polished English; she began with an English film called ‘Tarzan Goes to India’ in 1962 along with Feroz Khan. Despite the failure of the film at box office, Simi’s grace and beauty came into light.

High-Profile Relationships

Before getting married to Ravi Mohan she was in a relationship with the king of the Saurashtra kingdom of Jamnagar Shatrusalyasinhji. This relationship which she said started when she was 17 years of age lasted for three years. In an interview, Simi talked about how the Maharaja opened for her the world of animal, sports and the different experiences. Their relationship was very fiery and passionate, but the possessiveness was the cause of their break up for some time though Simi knew that it made her improved emotionally.
She was also in a lover’s lane with Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi the Nawab of Pataudi and a star Indian cricketer. They had a rather public affair and their break up was likewise expected, especially when Mansoor got involved with Famous actress Sahrmeela and later married her.

Real Life Love Story of Simi Garewal and Ratan Tata

Among those close friends of Simi who she deeply appreciated one of the most striking personalities was an industrialist Ratan Tata. Even though there are not much known about the relationship of Simi and Ratan Tata,
The relationship of Simi Garewal and Ratan Tata has always been rather enshrouded and elegant which was a characteristic of both of them. More so, Simi has always presented herself as a sophisticated lady while Ratan Tata is a very big man in the business world who is also very humble.
This love between Simi and Ratan wasn’t shown in the movie as a mere affection that two people share for a short time but has a long time connection. During an interview Simi said, “Ratan and I are very old friends, he lacks nothing; he has a good sense of humour, is shy, a perfect gentleman, he was never money minded, I think he is much more at ease outside India.”

It was rumored they were very much into each other and there were rumours of them being planning to wed. However, they were fated for each other, they stayed together for years but the union was not a marriage one. Why this was the case, remains undisclosed; at least their story is one based on love that did not translate into a ‘happily ever after.’

they did not marry. Nonetheless, it is important to note that upto this point, Simi has only referred to Tata in appalling terms and focused on the camaraderie that the two had.

Family Background

Simi Garewal was also born in to a well to do family. Her father’s name was Brigadier J. S. Garewal, and he had been in the Indian Army and her family was well cultured and educated. A considerable portion of her childhood was spent in England, most of her education took place in that country and it was also in this environment that she assumed the rather cosmopolitan character that later on became part and parcel of her persona.
Simi is also a cousin of the Chopra family which is quite famous in Bollywood. She has roots with Pamela Chopra, the wife to the famous Yash Chopra. With this they became affiliated to one of the powerful Bollywood families which gave her a secured place in the Indian film fraternity.
Simi has very strong family attachments which are seen right from the childhood where she has a special bond with her sister Amrita.

Simi Garewal’s marriage life

Controversy seems to have been following Simi Garewal, a lady famed for her beauty and elegance whether in acting or hosting, for as long as anyone can remember and part of this controversy was the content of her personal life. She has achieved a lot in her profession but her marriage and family has also had its own fair share of problems. From high-profiled relationships and marriages, Simi has not had an easy time especially when it comes to matters concerning love and marriage.

Marriage to Ravi Mohan

In 1970, that Simi Garewal married Ravi Mohan, a man from the well-known Chunnamal family of Delhi. Ravi Mohan was of a high class family and this marriage was one of the well-thought marriages for that period. But it was a brief marriage for both of them. Simi and Ravi stayed together for remaining years and finally got divorced after almost 9 years of their marriage in 1979.
Although the two parted ways a long time ago, Simi was not very open about the causes of their break up although it is worth noting that there were issues. Simi has also never gone into details of her divorce but has kept quiet about it, concentrating on her job as well as other activities in public rather than in private.

Life After Divorce

After her divorce with Ravi Mohan and high profile affairs, Simi Garewal remained single and unmarried. Simi has always managed to live her life as per her desire without much concern for the future; she has always been career-oriented and loved her work and it can easily be seen that her individuality is an important part of her personality.
Of course, in the interviews, Simi affirmed that she has had significant other relationships, although she does not feel as though she is lost in her singleness. She has been appreciated for her strength, elegance and self confidence and her choice of living life to the full has encouraged the liberation of women.

Rising Fame in Bollywood

Her real coming of age in Bollywood can be said to have happened towards the late 1960s, when she was getting bigger roles in Indian films. It can also be said that Do Badan (1966) was one of her prominent early works as it is a tragic love story which brought her into the spotlight. In this movie her acting skills of depicting various emotions was evident and she received a lot of commendation from critics and the public.
In the following years, Simi appeared in a series of acclaimed films:In the following years, Simi appeared in a series of acclaimed films:

• Mera Naam Joker (1970): This some of the most famous Indian films ever produced It is a Raj Kapoor film that directed the movie. Simi portrayed the character of Mary, a school teacher who is tender natured which influence the central character Raju portrayed by Rishi Kapoor. Public accepted her performance much stylish.
  • Siddhartha (1972): Therefore Siddhartha as a movie was a special show for her as it was an international production based on the novel by Hermann Hesse. Though acting opposite Shashi Kapoor in this ENglish movie, she was excellent in this film and earned her fame both in India and Internationally. A scene that she shot naked in the movie raised eyebrows in India, not to mention the fact that critics admired her acting.
  • Karz (1980): Although she got her biggest break in Subhash Ghai’s Karz where she played the character of Kamini, who was manipulative and revengeful. The dangerous, charming and seductive vamp role she portrayed was memorable giving a testimonial to her versatility as an actress.

Transition to Television

During the 1980s the door for writing and directing opened up for Simi Garewal and she gracefully moved from acting. She begun her own production company, Siga Arts International, in which she started experimenting with television. The first one was It’s a Woman’s World (1983) a TV serial for Doordarshan which was highlighting women’s issues in India.
I think her major success with television was the show known as Rendezvous with Simi Garewal which was launched in the late nineties. It started to be known for the up close and personal conversation with celebrities, personalities from Bollywood, business tycoons, cricketers and political leaders. Different Bollywood personalities including Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Rekha, and Shah Rukh Khan made revelations the things in their personal life which they did not disclose earlier.
What made the show stand out was the fact that Simi had her own fashion sense, wearing white most of the time and was very composed making her guests feel at ease and willing to share some of the deep secrets. Rendezvous soon turned into one of the most popular talk shows in India having several seasons. This show afforded her the opportunity to create a permanent place as a host on television, and ensured everyone that her skills were not just in acting.

Return to Filmmaking

Simi Garewal also experimented with documentary production with productions such as Living Legend Raj Kapoor (1984) – a profile of actor-director Raj Kapoor and India’s Rajiv (1985) – a series on Rajiv Gandhi. These documentaries helped her to address both passions: the love to the cinema and the desire to know more about people’s lives.

Simi Garewal’s awards and recognitions

• 1966: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film Do Badan in HIndi cinema
  • 1968: She was honored by Filmfare Award for the Best Supporting Actress for Hindi movie Saathi.
  • 1988: For directing TV commercials in Australia, Pater received the Award named after Pater.
  • 1999 : Screen Awards for ht best Talk Show & the best Anchor
  • 2001: RAPA Award for Best Anchor and Talk show
  • 2003 : Indian Television Academy Award for Best Anchor Rotary Award For Vocational Excellence In Media & Television 2003
  • 2004: Indian Filmgoers Association Award for the Best Talk Show
  • 2018: UKAFF Award for Contribution to film and Television

How Simi Garewal’s Bollywood Career Crumbled

In 2020 the renowned Bollywood actress Simi Garewal supported Kangana Ranaut’s revelations about the movie industry and the existence of Nepotism and favouritism. On her Twitter handle, Garewal appreciated Kangana’s bravery in confronting powerful people in Bollywood mainly after the actor’s claims against Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Garewal also disclosed hers, saying that a ‘powerful person’ had ugly attempted to destroy her career。 She shrugged her shoulders and accepted Kangana’s courage and said that she herself chosen to remain silent when the woman was struggling. Such revelation created much guessing, about who was this person that Garewal had offended to be targeted this much. Although some insiders of the industry thought there was a possibility of departing with a filmmaker in late 70s, the veteran fate of film journalism Indermohan Pannu negated such instances stating that Garewal never had confrontation with any filmmaker throughout her career.

Still, Garewal’s Bollywood career was quite short although she starred in movies like Mera Naam Joker and Karz. But returning to the small screen, she re-emerged as the host of the show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal and it was a successful show for five seasons. Her show was later replaced by Karan Johar’s Koffee with Karan which is also aired on the same channel and this caused more problems between Garewal and Johar. Garewal went on the airing of television to criticize Johar for trying to oust her as a host of a particular film festival and also referred to it as “another takeover” in one of her tweets.

Living the Life of an Independent Lady

Despite the turbulence in her personal life has been a roller coaster ride, still Simi Garewal holds her reputation and dignity very high. It can also be seen that after her divorce she chose to live single and this is in tune with her beliefs of being strong and that a woman does not have to be with any man. She has created a life of her own which is creative, impressive, and full of accomplishments in the arts and Indian moving picture and television.
Today, Simi is still synonymous to timeless beauty and freedom. Although her love and marriage life were not very normal but she has built a successful and a very satisfied life with achievement, fame and revenge in Indian film industry..

Signature Style and Legacy

Simi Garewal herself was a epitome of elegance through out her career. Her cloths—which she preferred wearing white dress from head to toe for most of the time– became part of her persona. Known as “The Lady in White’ the dress code contributed to her glamour and sophisticated taste which was the same off the set as on the set.
No-one can deny the fact that the lady named Simi Garewal has taken Indian cinema and television to new heights. She was a fantastic actress and mostly came into limelight for her emotional acting in movies like Mera Naam Joker and Karz. She being a very well known personality at that time, changed the perception of Indian Television and media with her show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal and became the face of Indian Television. Television and documentary productions as well as a host of other programs that she directed was evidence of her talent and love for the work.
Today, Simi Garewal is regarded as an artist who was transforming herself time and again whether it was in the choice of roles she selected, her widely acclaimed talk show or in the exploration of different avenues as a director and producer. Her career is the proof of her passion, beauty and creativity in the Indian film industry.