By Jaideep Sen Deewaar one of the two greatest Films ever made in Indian Cinema – the other being Sholay – celebrated its glorious forty-fourth birthday on 24 January, 2019. On the august occasion, I take a look at one of the female characters who provided the film with strength, style and substance. While many of you may think this is going to be an ode to Sumitra Devi, the mother of Vijay and Ravi who has gone into the hall of pride of Indian cinema, I would like to put the spotlight on Anita, performed with such flamboyance and great sensitivity by Parveen Babi-ji. Anita enters the film at a pivotal juncture in a high-end hotel bar and comes across as a upmarket escort who is instrumental in unintentionally saving Vijay’s life when he is attacked. From here on Salim Saab and Javed Saab etched out a very understated, mature and progressive bond between Vijay and Anita. Parveen Babi as Anita in Deewaar Consider this exchange between Vijay and Anita: When