When Ashok Kumar’s daughter Bharti Jaffrey passed away in September, the prayer meeting announcement carried the names of her daughter, actress Anooradha Patel, son-in-law Kanwaljit and Kiara Advani as a surprise addition.
Tracing the connection between two seemingly remote celebrities has the thrill of a treasure hunt with ex-partners and half-siblings providing a thread to tie one name with another.
Although Kiara was not there at the prayer meeting, it was interesting to go back in time to trace how this young actress was related to Ashok Kumar. She is the daughter of Jagdeep Advani, a Sindhi,and Genevieve Jaffrey. Genevieve’s mother Valerie was of Scottish origin, her father Hamid Jaffrey, a Lucknow Muslim. Kiara’s mother was barely in her teens when Hamid married Bharti.
Hamid’s brother Saeed was a London-based actor who did many Hindi films. If you were to look at Saeed’s family tree, there’d be many more marriages and connections, and Kiara will find herself related to his ex-wife and former actress Madhur Jaffrey,who became a cookery writer of international fame.
When Bharti wed Hamid,she too left behind a broken marriage and her daughter Anooradha was also a young girl like Genevieve.
For his times, Ashok Kumar was aprogressive, inclusive man who took his children’s decisions in his stride. So you’d find a potpourri of religions and regions in his family.
The Genevieve-Valerie-Hamid-Bharti route makes Anooradha “half aunt” to Kiara and Ashok Kumar her “half-great-grandfather”.
With Kiara’s marriage to Sidharth Malhotra around the corner, Sid too will be related to Ashok Kumar. And through him, Kiara and Sid can boast of a connection with the inimitable Kishore Kumar.
In the same manner, can you trace how Hrithik Roshan is related to Tabu? Hrithik was married to Susanne, daughter of Sanjay Khan and Zarine. Sanjay’s brother was Feroz, his son is Fardeen. Fardeen is married to Natasha, daughter of former actress Mumtaz and industrialist Mayur Madhvani. Mumtaz’s sister Mallika is married to Randhawa, former wrestler and younger brother of Dara Singh, whose son Vindoo was married to actress Farah. Farah’s younger sister is Tabu. And voila, Hrithik Roshan is related to Tabu.
This tree can reach Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu too. Farah lives with actor Sumeet Saigal, who was earlier married to Shaheen. Shaheen’s father was Saira Banu’s brother. Shaheen is, therefore, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu’s niece. Am sure Hrithik himself hasn’t figured out that he’s related to Dilip Kumar.
To go a little further, Shaheen’s daughter Sayyesha made her debut opposite Ajay Devgn in his second directorial Shivaay. She didn’t quite make it in Mumbai but moved Southand soon married actor Arya,who is a huge name in Tamilcinema. In this way, Hrithikis also related to Tamil film celebrity Arya.
On the other hand, when Karan Johar was being hauled over the coals for nepotism, a laughable gem that cropped up said that his father Yash Johar was Yash Chopra’s cousin. This incredible family equation was cited to show how favouring their own runs in their blood. But the truth is, the two Yashs were only great friends, they were not related in any way. If at all Yash Johar had a film land connection, it was with his colourful cousin I.S. Johar.
This generation has missed knowing an avant-garde like I.S. Johar, who made movies and excelled in comic roles. Look him up in Dev Anand’s 1970 block buster Johny Mera Naam. An MA with a law degree to boot, he was erudite, for thright and wacky. It was he who started the rib-tickling “Question Box” in Filmfare, where readers sent in mounds of questions that he answered with unparalleled wit.
A sample from Question Box. Reader: I am going to Pakistan. What advice do you have to give me? Johar: Keep out of harem’s way.Perhaps Karan’s irreverent humourcould be traced to those Johar genes andnot to any Chopra.
Bharathi S. Pradhan is asenior journalist and author
