Neelima Azeem is an Indian actress, Kathak dancer, and writer. |
She is known for her contributions to Hindi films and TV series. |
Neelima is the mother of Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter. |
She began dancing at the age of two and had her first stage performance at four. |
At 10, she started learning Kathak from Pandit Birju Maharaj and continued for 52 years. |
Neelima also trained with other renowned dancers like Munna Shukla and Pundit Devilalji. |
Her passion for acting began at a young age, and she started in theatrical productions at 10. |
In addition to dance, she received singing training from Ustad Munnawar Ali Khan. |
At 14, she featured in the Indian Classical Heritage Series stamps for Kathak. |
Neelima gained fame for her role in the TV series ‘Phir Wahi Talash’ (1989). |
She portrayed Mumtaz in the historical series ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’ (1990). |
Neelima's film debut was in ‘Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro’ (1989), followed by ‘Sadak’ (1991). |
She appeared in the TV series ‘Saans’ in 2002. |
Neelima has acted in several TV series, including ‘Talaash’ (1992) and ‘Amrapali’ (2002). |
She played Shahid Kapoor's on-screen mother in ‘Ishq Vishk’ (2003), his debut film. |
In 2016, Neelima starred in the film ‘Alif’ as Zeher Raza. |
She has appeared in films like ‘Karmyoddha’ (1992) and ‘Just Married’ (2007). |
Neelima also acted in the web series ‘Mom & Co.’ (2019). |
Her role in ‘Halala’ (2019) received high acclaim. |
Neelima shared her experiences of biases in the Bollywood industry in an interview. |
She founded the Kathak academy ‘Roots Academy’ in Mumbai. |
Neelima has trained Bollywood stars like Jhanvi Kapoor and Aayush Sharma. |
Rajesh Khattar, Neelima’s second husband, mentioned meeting her on a film set, leading to their friendship, dating, and subsequent marriage. |