Waheeda Rehman | |
|---|---|
 Waheeda Rehman in 2023 | |
| Born | (1938-02-03)3 February 1938 (age 87) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active |
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| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | |
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Waheeda Rehman (born 3 February 1938) is an Indian actress. Regarded as one of the greatest and most accomplished actresses ofHindi cinema, she has appeared in more than90 feature films, in a career spanning over five decades. Her accolades include aNational Film Award and threeFilmfare Awards. She was honoured with India's civilian awards, thePadma Shri in 1972 and thePadma Bhushan in 2011. In 2021 she was honoured with theDadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema.
Rehman made her acting debut with the Telugu filmRojulu Marayi (1955). She rose to prominence by her collaborations with Hindi filmmakerGuru Dutt in the dramasPyaasa (1957),Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959),Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), andSahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962). She received widespread critical acclaim for the romantic dramaGuide (1965), for which she won her firstFilmfare Award for Best Actress. She won the award again for her performance in the romantic thrillerNeel Kamal (1968), and additionally earned nominations for her roles in the comedyRam Aur Shyam (1967) and the dramaKhamoshi (1969). For portraying a clanswoman in the crime dramaReshma Aur Shera (1971), she won theNational Film Award for Best Actress.
Since the 1970s, Rehman has worked primarily in supporting roles, appearing inYash Chopra's romantic dramasKabhie Kabhie (1976),Chandni (1989) andLamhe (1991), and action filmsTrishul (1978) andMashaal (1984). Her other notable supporting roles were in the filmsNamkeen andNamak Halaal in 1982. In 1994, she was honoured with theFilmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. Following a hiatus, she has worked intermittently, appearing in the social dramasWater (2005),Rang De Basanti (2006) andDelhi 6 (2009).
Apart from her acting career, Rehman is a philanthropist. She is an advocate for education and is an ambassador forRangDe, an organisation combatingpoverty in India.[1]
Waheeda Rehman was born on 3 February 1938[2][3][4] to aDeccani Muslim family inChengalpet of present-dayTamil Nadu, India. It is a common misconception that Rehman was born inHyderabad instead of Tamil Nadu.[5] Her father was Mohammed Abdur Rehman and her mother was Mumtaz Begum, and she was the youngest out of four daughters.[6] As a child, she and her sisters were trained inBharatanatyam inChennai.[5] She studied in St. Joseph's Convent inVisakhapatnam when her father was posted there in the then-Madras Presidency. Her father, who worked as a district commissioner, died in 1951 while she was in her early teens.[7][8]
Rehman's dream was to become a doctor, but due to her family's circumstances emotionally and financially, alongside her mother's illness, she abandoned her goal. In order to help her family, she accepted movie offers that stemmed from her dancing abilities.[9]
Rehman made her film debut with the Tamil filmAlibabavum 40 Thirudargalum as a dancer. However, the Telugu filmRojulu Marayi (1955) released prior to that; where she again performed in a dance.[10] The same year, she also played the lead role oppositeN. T. Rama Rao in the filmJayasimha.[11] Subsequently, hercameo appearance inAlibabavum 40 Thirudargalum released in 1956.[10] Based on the folktaleAli Baba and the Forty Thieves, it was the first Tamil film to be colourised.[12] In the mid-1950s, she established a working relationship withDev Anand wherein they had a number of successful films to their credit which includeSolva Saal (1958). Suresh Kohli ofThe Hindu writes on her performance inSolva Saal; "Though barely 20 then and only in her fourth Hindi release, Rehman demonstrates her class: both in serious scenes demanding intensity and through sparkling, mischievous eye movements during lighter moments."[13]
Rehman's performances caught the eye of Hindi filmmakerGuru Dutt, whom she considered her mentor.[14] Dutt brought her toBombay (present-day Mumbai) and cast her as Kamini in thecrime thrillerC.I.D. (1956). Because of the trend set of the then popular actresses such asMadhubala,Nargis andMeena Kumari, Waheeda was asked to use a stage name, reasoning that her name should be "something sexy", which she refused and continued with her birth name.[15] Dutt would next cast her in her first lead role in Hindi films in thedramaPyaasa (1957), where she portrayed a prostitute. The film was a commercial success, and it has been regarded by critics as one of the greatest films ever made.[16][17] She continued collaborations with Dutt which include thenoir film12 O'Clock (1958),[18] the romantic dramaKaagaz Ke Phool (1959), and theMuslim social filmChaudhvin Ka Chand (1960); all of which earned her critical praise.[19][20] Rehman and Dutt's last collaboration was the romantic dramaSahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), which starred Dutt , Meena Kumari, and Rehman herself in a supporting role.[21] The film was a major success, being lauded by both Indian and international critics.[22] This earned Rehman her firstFilmfare nomination in the category ofBest Supporting Actress,[23] meanwhile the film itself received nominations for theGolden Bear at the13th Berlin International Film Festival and won theFilmfare Award for Best Film.[24]
The actress next ventured intoBengali film-making withSatyajit Ray's filmAbhijan (1962).[25] Following this, she played a murder suspect inBaat Ek Raat Ki (1962), a girl embroiled in a sibling feud inRakhi (1962) and an infertile woman inEk Dil Sau Afsane (1963).[26][27] As a leading lady, she was cast opposite many familiar faces of Hindi Cinema; notably, this includesSunil Dutt inMujhe Jeene Do (1962),Nirupa Roy inKaun Apna Kaun Paraya (1963) andBiswajit in the horror filmKohraa (1964), the dramaMajboor (1964), and the psychological-thrillerBees Saal Baad (1962)—the latter becoming thehighest-grossing Hindi film of 1962.[28] At the end of 1964, Rehman became the third-highest paid actress in Hindi films.[29]
Vijay Anand'smagnum opus, the romantic dramaGuide (1965) was anadaptation of the same book written byR. K. Narayan, published in 1958.[30] Rehman starred as Rosie, a rebellious, strong-willed wife of an unfaithfularchaeologist. She stated that the role proved difficult for her, particularly because it broke several film stereotypes at the time.[31]Guide was a major commercial success, emerging as thefifth-highest grossing Hindi film of 1965, and it opened to widespread critical acclaim, with Rehman's performance receiving universal praise. Trisha Gupta ofHindustan Times writing, "Rosie was triply unusual: a woman who walks out of an unhappy marriage, begins a romantic relationship with a man who isn't her husband, and simultaneously embarks on a successful career as a dancer. She would be an unusual Hindi film heroine even today..."[32] and ranked her performance amongst Indian cinema's greatest. For her performance, Rehman won her firstFilmfare Award for Best Actress, andGuide went on to win theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film and theFilmfare Award for Best Film. It becameIndia's official entry to the Oscars, though it did not get nominated. It is now considered acult classic, and is considered Rehman's signature film performance.[33]
Rehman's career peak continued when she was paired with other well-established superstars, namelyDilip Kumar,Rajendra Kumar,Raj Kapoor, andRajesh Khanna. Among her most acclaimed films of the late 1960s includeTeesri Kasam (1966), which won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film,Ram Aur Shyam (1967),Neel Kamal (1968) andKhamoshi (1969). The last three films earned Rehman consecutive nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, winning her second award forNeel Kamal.[34] In her highly praised role inKhamoshi starring alongside Rajesh Khanna andDharmendra, she plays a nurse who goes mentally insane after falling in love with one of her patients, and eventually is sent to her own mental institution. Other commercial successes of this period werePatthar Ke Sanam (1967) andAadmi (1968). At the end of the 1960s, Rehman ranked a new record amongst herself in becoming the second-paid actress in Hindi films, from 1964 to 1969. She states herself, "ForSolva Saal, my first film as a freelancer, I received ₹30,000. The highest I ever earned in my career was Rs. 7lakh for a film."[35]
For headliningSunil Dutt's filmReshma Aur Shera (1971), Rehman won theNational Film Award for Best Actress, which is India's equivalent to theAcademy Award for Best Actress.[36]Reshma Aur Shera earned critical appreciation, Dutt was nominated for theGolden Bear at the22nd Berlin International Film Festival and was selected as the Indian entry for theBest Foreign Language Film,[36] but the film failed at the box office.[37]
Rehman began experimenting with roles at this stage of career. She accepted the offer to play a mother toJaya Bhaduri inPhagun (1973). In her new innings from the '70s, her successful films includeKabhi Kabhie (1976),Trishul (1978),Jwalamukhi (1980),Naseeb (1981),Namkeen (1982),Dharam Kanta (1982),Namak Halaal (1982),Coolie (1983),Mashaal (1984),Chandni (1989) andLamhe (1991).[38][6]Kabhi Kabhie,Namkeen,Chandni andLamhe garnered her nominations for theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Film expert Rajesh Subramanian reported thatManmohan Desai had approached Rehman, on behalf ofShammi Kapoor, during the making ofNaseeb. In the song "John Jani Janardhan", Kapoor and Rehman make a grand-entry holding hands. Incidentally, this was the first time the two stars appeared together on screen.[6] After her appearance inLamhe, she announced a sabbatical from the film industry.[38][6]
Initially, Rehman was supposed to play the role of her frequent co-starAmitabh Bachchan's mother inKaran Johar's ensemble family dramaKabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001).[6] However, after having shot a few scenes, she dropped out of the film due to her husband's death in November 2000; subsequently, her role was then played byAchala Sachdev.[39] In recent years, she has played motherly roles inOm Jai Jagadish (2002),Water (2005),15 Park Avenue (2005),Rang De Basanti (2006) andDelhi 6 (2009), all of which earned her critical acclaim.[38][6]
In 2011, she was honoured by theGovernment of India with thePadma Bhushan, and in 2013 with theCenetary Award for Indian Film Personality for her contribution to Indian Cinema. A biography has been written and published in 2014 about Rehman, entitledConversations With Waheeda Rehman,[40] which consist of interviews collected by author and directorNasreen Munni Kabir.[41]
In April 1974, Waheeda marriedShashi Rekhi (also known by his screen name Kamaljeet).[42] They had worked together in the filmShagoon (1964). They had two children, Daughter Kashvi and son Sohail. After her marriage, they lived in a farmhouse inBangalore but after Rekhi's death on 21 November 2000, Waheeda moved back toBandra,Mumbai, where she currently lives.[43][44]
She is private about her life and seldom speaks about it, as said in an interview at the launch ofConversations with Waheeda Rehman: "I don't want to get into it. My private life should remain private. It is nobody's business. I know we are public figures, so when I fight with my husband, do you want to know about it?"[45]
Rehman is regarded as one of the greatest actors ofIndian cinema.[46]Rediff.com placed her in their "Bollywood's Best Actresses of all time" list.[47] In 2022, she was placed inOutlook India's "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list.[48] One of the highest paid actress of mid- to late 1960s and early 1970s, Rehman appeared inBox Office India's "Top Actresses" list from 1958 to 1963 and again topeed the list from 1967 to 1972.[49] Rehman was placed 3rd inRediff.com's "Best Bollywood Debut Ever" list, for her filmCID.[50] In 2011, they listed her as the fifth-greatest actress of all-time afterNargis,Smita Patil,Nutan andMeena Kumari.[51] In 2012, Rehman was placed 9th byNDTV in its "The Most Popular Actress of All Time" list.[52]Filmfare included Rehman's performances inGuide in its list of Bollywood's "80 Iconic Performances".[53] Rehman was also placed inTimes of India's "50 Beautiful Faces" list.[54]
Devesh Sharma ofFilmfare termed her "dusky danseuse".[55] Arushi Bhaskar ofIndian Express said, "Waheeda Rehman has a rich filmography to her name that reflects the changing ethos of Indian cinema as well as her own talents."[56] Sharla Bazliel ofIndia Today noted, "Her name means "the unique one" and few actors have had a career, and life, quite like Waheeda Rehman."[57] Mukul Kesavan ofThe Telegraph talked about her work with Guru Dutt and said, "Waheeda Rehman is Hindi cinema's greatest actor but it is a mistake to make that claim, as often happens, on the basis of her work in Guru Dutt's films. Guru Dutt sprinkled her with stardust; as an actor, she made herself."[58] Dinesh Raheja ofRediff.com noted, "Rehman's simple beauty and refreshingly natural style of acting gave her an edge over the carefully-lacquered bouffant brigade of the 1960s."[59][60] In 2022, actressPaoli Dam recreated her look fromPyaasa (1957), on the occasion of 75 years of Independence.[61]
| Year | Film | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [62] |
| 1965 | Guide | Best Actress | Won | [63] | |
| Chicago International Film Festival | Best Actress | Won | [64] | ||
| 1966 | Teesri Kasam | BFJA Awards | Best Actress (Hindi) | Won | [65] |
| 1967 | Ram Aur Shyam | Filmfare Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | [66] |
| 1968 | Neel Kamal | Won | [34] | ||
| 1970 | Khamoshi | Nominated | [67] | ||
| 1971 | Reshma Aur Shera | National Film Awards | Best Actress | Won | [68] |
| 1976 | Kabhi Kabhie | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [69] |
| 1982 | Namkeen | Nominated | [70] | ||
| 1989 | Chandni | Nominated | [71] | ||
| 1991 | Lamhe | Nominated | [72] |
Centenary award for best film personality 2013
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