Jagmohan Singh Barhok’s Post
The Covid menace indeed has played havoc with the lives of millions all over including many film ,TV,Music & Media personalities who sccumbed to its menace,prematurely.The world continues to be upended by the coronavirus pandemic, with more & more people contracting COVID-19 as the days pass by. I would quote names like Terrence McNally, Italian actress Lucia Bosè,Mark Blum,Maria Mercader, a CBS News veteran,Grammy-winning country music singer Joe Diffie,American rock musician Alan Merrill & Popular Japanese comedian Ken Shimura,most death occuring because of complications from Covid19.In our country,too,many actors and media persons have succumbed to Corona complication at home or in hositals.Shravan Rathod passed away earlier this month followed by Satish Kaul suffering complications from COVID-19, succumbing to it on April 10.Ramu, a Kannada film producer & husband of actress Malashree died on Monday evening. He had produced more than 30 films.Classic musician Pt Rajan Mishra & actor Bikramjeet Kanwarpal also died following Covid-19 complications .
Legendary Bengali actor,Soumitra Chatterjee who did work in some Satyaji Ray’s films also died in Kolkata after battling with Covid-19 & Aaj Tak Journalist Rohit Sardana. One of the latest in the list is actress Geeta Behl,daughter of Shyam Behl (Nephew of actor Rajendra Kumar), who produced “Duniya” & “The Gold Medal” and niece of Ramesh behl(Kasme Vaade, Jawaani, Pukar and Apne Apne),Goldie’s father.Ravi Behl was her brother.
Geeta was loveliness personified actress,little plump though,serene & restrained in her approach.Unlike most of her genre she did not go after films and was satisfied with whatever she could get.She co starred Rishi & Moushami Chatterjee in Raj Khosla ” Do Premee” ( 1980) & another of Khosla’s film ” Main Tulsi tere Aangan ki” ( 1978 )featuring Nutan,Vinod Khanna,Vijay Anand and Asha Parekh,fetching Nutan a Filmfare Best Actress Award.She played Kesar in 1984 movie “Meraa Dost Meraa Dushman” starring Shatrughan Sinha,Sanjeev Kumar & Smita Patil . Geeta Behl was also part of the ‘Boogie Woogie’ dance show in the initial stage.
Geeta also worked in regional movies including director Uttam Tulsi’s Punjabi film “Yaar Gariba Da” starring Satish Kaul & Daljit Kaur.After the release of the film in 1986,I went to Bombay with my family & made a courtesy visit to Geeta’s Khar residence.I met her mother & brother and stayed there for two hour.I later sent her a letter of thanks to which she promptly responded.Geeta was on ventilator support before death on 1 May at a hospital. May Her Soul Rest In Peace.
