Babita Shivdasani, usually referred to mononymously as Babita, is a former Indian actress who was active in the late sixties and seventies. Born Bhambhani Shivdasani on April 20, 1948, she followed in the footsteps of her father Hari Shivdasani and elder cousin Sadhana, who were both actors.

After finishing her schooling, she wanted to get straight into the film industry, and her father, who was also keen for her to become an actress, got her a screen test with the producer G.P. Sippy. Though Sippy wrapped up the audition after a single shot, he called her the same day to praise her performance and offer her a role. This led Babita to act in her first film project, Raaz (1967), opposite Rajesh Khanna.

Her first film to release, however, was Dus Lakh (1966), and it was her third film, Farz (1967), that brought Babita recognition and popular acclaim. She became well-known not only for her acting, but also for her dancing, and as a fashion icon.

Babita’s on-screen career was short-lived, and she gave up acting after getting married to actor Randhir Kapoor, because of restrictions his family placed upon women. Between 1966 and 1973, she had appeared in 19 films, including Haseena Maan Jayegi (1969), Pehchaan (1970), and Kal Aaj Aur Kal, (1971). Incidentally, the last of these films was the directorial debut of her then future husband Randhir Kapoor, who also costarred in the film.

The last film of Babita’s acting career was Sone Ke Haath (1973), in which she starred opposite Sanjay Khan – who also happened to be her costar in her first release Dus Lakh (1966). She made a few small appearances on screen in the early eighties, but stayed away from acting for the most part.

After her daughters Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor had grown up, both becoming actresses, she became heavily involved in their work and acted as their manager. She was adamant about seeing her daughters succeed in ways that she could not, and continues to be a big part of their careers.