Anuradha Patel is a prominent Indian actress. She is one of the highly acclaimed Indian actresses of the 1980s and is recognized for her performances in the films Utsav (1984), Phir Aayee Barsaat (1986), Dharam Adhikari (1986), Sadaa Suhaagan (1986), Ijaazat (1987), and Rukhsat (1988). The veteran Hindi film actor Ashok Kumar was her maternal grandfather. She is the wife of the famous Indian actor, Kanwaljit Singh, and the daughter of Bharati Jaffery, a noted Indian actress.
Anuradha Patel with her husband, grandfather, and sons
Wiki/Biography
Anuradha Patel was born on Wednesday, 30 August 1961 (age 61 years; as of 2022) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her zodiac sign is Virgo. Soon after completing her school education, Anuradha Patel joined Nirmala Niketan College in Mumbai to pursue a degree in interior design.
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father’s name is Dr Veerendra Patel who is a renowned orthodontist in Mumbai. Her mother, Bharati Jaffery, was a noted Indian actress.
Anuradha Patel (right) with her mother, Bharati Jaffery
Reportedly, Bharati Jaffery separated from Anuradha’s father, Veerendra Patel soon after Anuradha’s birth. Hameed Jaffery, the brother of late veteran Indian actor Saeed Jaffery, is the stepfather of Anuradha Patel. She is the maternal granddaughter of the late actor Ashok Kumar. The late Indian singer and actor Kishore Kumar was her granduncle. Shobha Devi was her maternal grandmother, and Indian singer Amit Kumar is her uncle.
From left to right, bottom row: Varun Patel, Sidhartha Singh, Aditya Singh. Middle Row: Rahul, Ashok Kumar, and Anuradha Patel. Top Row: Step-father Hameed Jaffrey, mother Bharti Jaffrey, stepbrother Rohit Patel and sister-in-law Kiran
Anuradha Patel with her uncle, Amit Kumar
Anuradha Patel has two brothers named Rahul Patel, a popular fashion photographer in Mumbai, and Saahil Jaffery, an actor.
Anuradha Patel with brother Rahul Patel
Husband & Children
In 1988, Anuradha Patel got married to Indian actor Kanwaljit Singh. The couple has two sons named Sidharth, who is a musician, and Aditya, who is a painter. Anuradha and Kanwaljit Singh have a goddaughter named Mariam Singh Barakzoy. In 2009, they publicly announced that Mariam Barakzoy was a member of their family. Soon after the news floated on many social media platforms, Kanwaljit Singh clarified in a media interview that they had not legally adopted Mariam, but she was a member of their family. He said,
We have a daughter Mariam Barakzoy who now calls herself Mariam Singh Barakzoy.”
He added that the bond between his three children was very well, and Mariam had equal rights in his family. He said,
Today, I have three children. Everything that I have belongs to Mariam as well. Mariam, Siddharth, Aditya and I bond very well. Life is all about attachment.”
Anuradha and Kanwaljit Singh narrated that when Mariam was eight years old she travelled to America from Afghanistan, and she met Kanwaljit Singh at Delhi airport in a guest house. They lost contact with each other after this meeting, but Mariam again contacted Kanwaljit Singh through an email after four years. He recalled,
I don’t know how Mariam got my e-mail id and wrote to me that she regarded me as her dad. Actually, she had a stepfather who didn’t treat her too well.”
Thereafter, Anuradha and Kanwaljit Singh clarified that Mariam had a stepfather who did not treat her well, and she liked to call Kanwaljit as her father. Since then, both of them were looking after Mariam’s needs. However, he claimed that Mariam worked in Santiago in the United States and is an independent girl.
Anuradha Patel and Kanwaljit Singh’s daughter Mariam (middle) with their sons
Relationships/ Affairs
According to some media reports, Anuradha Patel got engaged to Indian actor Mayur Verma in 1983. Later, she was in the news when her name was associated with actor Marc Zuber.
Career
Films
Hindi
Anuradha Patel marked her Bollywood debut with the film Love in Goa in 1983 along with the Indian actor Mayur Verma in the lead role. After that, she went on to appear in many Hindi films including Utsav in 1984, Phir Aayee Barsat in 1985, Dharm Adhikari and Sadaa Suhagan in 1986, Ijaazat in 1987, and Rukhsat in 1988. She acted in the shelved film Sarkar in 1985. She appeared in the popular song “Mann Kyon Behka Re Behka” from the film Utsav along with Indian actress Rekha, and the song was a super hit. The other cast of the film included Shashi Kapoor and Shekhar Suman.
Anuradha Patel in a still from the song Mann Kyu Behka Re Bekhka
In 2008, Anuradha Patel was cast in the film Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na in which Indian actors Genelia D’ Souza and Imran Khan were in the lead roles.
Anuradha Patel (right) dancing in a still from the film Jane Tu Ya jane Na
In 2011, she worked in the film Khaap with veteran Indian actor Om Puri. She then worked with actor Salman Khan in the Hindi film Ready. In 2007, Anuradha Patel appeared in the film Dus Kahaniyan. In 2010, she was seen in Aisha and It’s My Life. In 2013. she worked in the film Rabba Mai Kya Karun and Dhantya Open in 2017.
Marathi
Anuradha Patel worked in the Marathi film Manvini Bhavai in 1994 and appeared in a special role in the Marathi film Eina Mina Dika in1989.
Television
Anuradha Patel worked in the Marathi television serial Chhapte Chhapte in 1985.
Anuradha Patel in a still from the serial Chhapte Chhapte
In the following year, Anuradha Patel appeared in the serial Katha Sagar. The other cast of the film was the Indian actors Kamran Rizvi and Vickey Khan. In 2000, she made her Hindi television debut with the serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi opposite Jeetendra on Star Plus. Anuradha Patel then appeared in a small role in the television serial Dekho Magar Pyaar Se in 2004 aired on Star Plus. In 2019, she was seen in the television serial Mrs Mukhamantri.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
In 1987, Anuradha Patel was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film Ijaazat. In 2018, she was honoured with the Perfect Achievers Award For “Best Personality Development” Classes, and the organiser of the award was Gurubhai Thakkar, an Indian filmmaker.
Facts/Trivia
- Once, it was in media news that Anuradha Patel befriended her long-time friend and the Indian costume designer Rufina (Renu) Baptista after they had some misunderstandings with each other while working for the shelved movie Amber. Later, it was revealed in many newspapers that Rufina had an affair with Marc Zuber, whose name was once associated with Anuradha Patel.
- During the 1980s, Anuradha Patel, along with her maternal grandfather, Ashok Kumar, appeared together in a toothpaste advertisement.
Anuradha Patel with her late maternal grandfather Ashok Kumar in an old advertisement
- In the 1980s, the makers of Chandrakanta, a popular television show, first announced that the serial would be picturised with Anuradha Patel as the lead actress along with other famous actors such as Kamran Rizvi, Dilip Dhawan, Neelam Mehra, and Satish Kaushik.
- In 1987, Anuradha Patel started her own venture ‘Dynamic Finishing Academy’ in which she provides lessons to personality development, public speaking, grooming, and confidence building.
- After 1989, Anuradha Patel did not get lead roles in Hindi films, and then, she switched to the Indian television industry. She stopped working on screen in the early 1990s to look after her family and children; however, she continued modelling.
- Anuradha Patel often endorses several television commercials and advertisements of popular Indian brands such as Samsung, Aashirwad Atta, Milton, and PC Chandra jewellers. Anuradha Patel and her husband, Kanwaljit Singh, were seen in the Amazon fashion advertisement in 2021.
Anuradha Patel in the advertisement of Aashirvad Aata
- Genevieve Jaffrey, the mother of Indian actress Kiara Advani, is the step-sister of Anuradha Patel. Anuradha and Kiara once hit the headlines after their pictures in which they looked exactly the same, went viral on many social media platforms.
Anuradha Patel and Kiara Advani