B'day Spotlight: WAHEEDA REHMAN

Vintage Talent

Her chiselled features and underplayed histrionics have earned Waheeda Rehman scores of admirers. Over the years, she has graduated to essaying meatier roles as a character artiste and emerged as a model 'Guide' to yesteryear stars.

The district magistrate residing at Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, in India, was elated beyond words when a bonny baby girl was born into his traditional Muslim family on February 3, 1936.

Little did he realise that apart from being the apple of his eye, Waheeda Rehman would later go on to win collective hearts and carve her own niche in Indian cinedom.

Her tryst with cinema was sparked off when the late filmmaker Guru Dutt spotted her in Hyderabad, even as he was scouting for a new face. Having learnt that she was conversant in Urdu, Dutt brought her to Mumbai (then, Bombay) casting her as a vamp in his production 'C.I.D' (1956) directed by Raj Khosla.

The debut got her recognition and Dutt roped her in for 'Pyaasa' (1957). Her sensitive portrayal garnered fame and the first round of stardom graced Rehman's life. It is rumoured at this point, that she got romantically tangled with Dutt and went on to sign 'Kaagaz Ke Phool', which is lauded today as a timeless classic of cinema. Subsequently, she went on to illumine her presence on celluloid together with Dutt in films such as 'Chaudhvin Ka Chand' and 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.'

The yesteryear actress went on to rule the roost in the Fifties and Sixties alongside the likes of formidable talents such as Meena Kumari, Nargis and Nutan. Her near perfect chiselled features and underplayed histrionics earned her scores of fans.

On the personal front, though, her relationship with Dutt seemed doomed since he was a married man and she was a rising star who collaborated successfully with other filmmakers, as well.

Waheeda Rehman enjoyed a substantially long innings as a heroine, showcasing her talent under the guidance of famed filmmakers and costarring opposite talents such as Dilip Kumar ('Dil Diya Dard Liya', 'Ram Aur Shyam') Dev Anand ('Solva Saal', 'Kala Bazar', 'Prem Pujari', 'Guide'), Sunil Dutt ('Mujhe Jeena Do', 'Reshma Aur Shera'), and Raj Kapoor ('Teesri Kasam').

Her remarkable histrionics were also noticed by a redoubtable filmmaker: the late Satyajit Ray, who cast her in his Bengali film 'Abhijan' (1962).

Her career was studded with the right laurels: 'Best Actress' Filmfare awards for 'Guide' (1966) and 'Neel Kamal' (1968), and a Filmfare 'Lifetime Achievement Award' in 1994.

Greater glory too greeted her… the national award ('Best Actress') for her rustic Rajasthani portrayal in 'Reshma Aur Shera' (1971) and the coveted Padma Shri in 1972.

Apart from these award bagging movies, she also displayed her acting prowess in other films, which were as praiseworthy such as 'Khamoshi' (1970), 'Phagun' (1973), 'Namkeen' (1982), 'Kabhi Kabhie' (1976) and the more recent 'Lamhe' (1991), 'Rang De Basanti' (2006) and 'Delhi 6' (2009).

Kamaljeet, her co star in 'Shagun' won her over; Waheeda Rehman tied the matrimonial knot in 1974 and went off to live in Bangalore. However, after her husband's demise in 2000, she returned to Mumbai and moved back to her bungalow in Mumbai. She took a sabbatical from acting (1991 to 2000) and returned to cinema thereafter, to highlight her histrionics once again in movies such as 'Om Jai Jagadish', '79, Park Avenue,', 'Water' and 'Rang De Basanti.'

Here's wishing Waheeda Rehman a very happy birthday and hoping that she continues to delight us on screen for many more years to come…

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