Mumbai, Dec 6 (IANS): Veteran actress Asha Parekh, who attended NDTV's Indian of the Year Award, shared an interesting story when she shot for a song while she was battling allergies.

The actress shared the anecdote saying she shot the song ‘Aaja Aaja’ from ‘Teesri Manzil’ with allergy, even her doctor was surprised by her dedication towards her work.

She said at the event, “I went to a doctor and said I need to shoot a song. The allergies must be gone. Doctor said, he hasn't seen a patient like me”.

The actress also spoke about the late actor Shammi Kapoor, and shared that she learnt a lot from him, and was particularly impressed by his sense of music.

The actress said, “Shammi Kapoor was my first hero. I have learnt a lot from him. All the Kapoors have a good sense of music. There was so much music in his body, that I didn't find it difficult to follow him”.

Asha Parekh and Shammi Kapoor worked in films like ‘Teesri Manzil’ (1966), ‘Batwara’ (1989), ‘Dil Deke Dekho’ (1959), ‘Pagla Kahin Ka’ (1970), ‘Jawan Mohabbat’ (1971), ‘Sar Ankhon Par’ (1999). When asked about the time when she copied Shammi Kapoor, the actress said, “He was very angry”.

Asha Parekh made her acting debut as a child artist with ‘Maa’ after director Bimal Roy saw her dance at a stage function. She subsequently starred in ‘Baap Beti’. The film's failure disappointed her, and even though she did a few more child roles, she quit to resume her schooling.

She decided to give another try in her teens, and made her lead debut with ‘Dil Deke Dekho’ (1959) and went onto establish herself as a leading actress in the 1960s and 1970. She is regarded as one of Hindi cinema's finest actresses, and has worked in more than 85 films, in a career spanning over four decades.

She was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1992 for her contribution to the field of cinema. She was also feted with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2020.