Waheeda Rehman
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Waheeda Rehman is one of the most prominent actresses of the golden era.She is known for many successful and critically acclaimed movies from 1950's, 60's and early 70's most notably C.I.D. (1956) and Guru Dutt classics such as Pyaasa (1957), 12 O'Clock (1958), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Her other notable works inculde Solva Saal (1958), Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962), Kohra (1964), Guide (1965), Teesri Kasam (1966), Aadmi and Khamoshi (1969).
Early life
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Waheeda Rehman was born on 14 May 1936 into a traditional Muslim family in Chingleput, Madras Presidency, India. She and her sister learnt Bharatnatyam at Mumbai's Sri Rajarajeswari Bharata Natya Kala Mandir, where Guru T. K. Mahalingam Pillai, doyen among nattuvanars taught and performed on stage together. Her father, who was a District Commissioner, died while she was still in her teens.
Many people believe that Waheeda Rehman was born in Hyderabad. “It’s a long story,” she says, “When I was in Chennai, I did three to four Tamil and Telugu movies. In the first one, Kaalam Maari Pochu along with Gemini Ganesan a bilingual film which was made in Tamil and Telugu as Rojulu Maraayi, I did only a folk dance number in both Tamil and Telugu versions. However, it went on to become a hit! I was in Hyderabad celebrating its success and Guru Dutt happened to be there. He was on a lookout for new faces and heard that I could speak in Urdu. It is because he spotted me in Hyderabad that people assume I was born there.”
Her dream was to become a doctor but, due to circumstances and illness, she abandoned this goal. Instead helped by her supportive parents, she hit the silver screen with Telugu films Jayasimha (1955), followed by Rojulu Marayi (1955) and Tamil film Kaalam Maari Pochu (1956). It is in Vijaya-Suresh combines Ram aur Shyam (Remake of Telugu movie Ramudu Bheemudu) in 1967 that Waheeda acted again under the direction of the topnotch Telugu director Tapi Chanakya who incidentally directed her movies Rojulu Maaraayi in Telugu (1955) and Kaalam Maaripochu in Tamil(1956).
Career
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Waheeda Rehman and Gurudutt
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Waheeda Rehman, started her career in films in 1954 and her first successful films were the Telugu films Jayasimha (1955), followed by Rojulu Marayi (1955) and Tamil film Kaalam Maari Pochu (1956).
Waheeda Rehman was discovered by Guru Dutt, after seeing her acting in Rojulu Maaraayi and was brought to Bombay (now Mumbai) and cast as a vamp in his production C.I.D. (1956), directed by Raj Khosla. A few years after joining the Hindi film industry, she lost her mother. After the success of C.I.D., Dutt gave her a leading role in Pyaasa (1957). Their next venture together, Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), depicted the story of a successful director's decline after he falls for his leading lady. Dutt's existing marriage and her film successes with other directors caused them to drift apart personally and professionally, although they continued to work together into the 1960s Chaudhvin Ka Chand. She completed Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) under some strain. They broke away from each other after the film's indifferent reception at the Berlin Film Festival in 1963. Soon afterward, Guru Dutt died on 10 October 1964 in Mumbai reportedly from an overdose of sleeping pills and alcohol.
Waheeda Rehman and Dev Anand
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Waheeda Rehman established a great working relationship with Dev Anand and together as a pair had number of successful films to their credit. The box office hits of the pair include C.I.D. (1956), Solva Saal (1958), Kala Bazar (1960), Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962) and Guide (1965) and box office duds were Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja(1961) and Prem Pujari (1970). She reached in her peak with Guide (1965) and was much in demand.
Waheeda Rehman was cast as "Gulabi" in Satyajit Ray's Bengali film Abhijan in 1962. She was offered lead actress's role in films even opposite actors junior to her by experience like Dharmendra but they flopped. But she continued to taste success in the late sixties when she was paired with well established stars. She delivered hits opposite Dilip Kumar like Ram Aur Shyam, Aadmi and some box office duds with Rajendra Kumar and this helped her continue to get lead roles in early seventies. Her career's biggest hit Khamoshi came in 1970, opposite Rajesh Khanna.
Her career continued throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. She won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her roles in Guide (1965), where she hit the peak of her career and Neel Kamal (1968), but despite excellent offbeat roles in subsequent films, including a National Award winning performance in Reshma Aur Shera (1971), some of the films failed at the box office. Seeing her films being successful, Waheeda decided to experiment with roles, at this stage of career. She accepted Reshma Aur Shera, opposite her old co-star Sunil Dutt, with whom she had previously in sixties had hits like Ek Phool Char Kaante, Mujhe Jeene Do, Meri Bhabhi and Darpan. Her performance was appreciated by critics but the film failed at the box office. But Waheeda continued to experiment with roles and accepted the offer to play a mother to Dharmendra in Phagun(1973). This she regards the mistake of her career as after this film flopped, suddenly people started offering her motherly roles to heroes.
From the mid seventies, Waheeda's career as lead heroine ended and her career as character actor began. At around this time, Kamaljit who starred opposite her in Shagun (1964) proposed and then got married in 1974. After her appearance in Lamhe (1991) she retired from the film industry for 12 years.
In her new innings from seventies her successful films, where she played pivotal roles include, Kabhi Kabhie (1976),Trishul (1978), Jwalamukhi(1980), Namkeen and Namak Halaal (1982),Mashaal (1984), Chandni(1989), Rang De Basanti(2006).
In recent years she made a comeback playing elderly mother and grandmother roles in Om Jai Jagadish (2002), Water (2005) and Rang De Basanti (2006) and Delhi 6 (2009) which were all critically acclaimed.
In October 2004, a Waheeda Rehman film retrospective was held at the Seattle Art Museum and the University of Washington where Waheeda participated in spirited panel and audience discussions on her most memorable films—Pyaasa, Teesri Kasam and Guide—although her most successful film is still considered to be Khamoshi, with costar Rajesh Khanna.
Personal life
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After her marriage with Shashi Rekhi (screen name Kamaljeet) on 27 April 1974, she shifted to a farmhouse in Bangalore. She bore two children named Sohail and Kashvi, who are both writers. On 21 November 2000, her husband died following a prolonged illness. She moved back to her ocean view bungalow in Bandra, Bombay where she lives currently.
Filmography
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Year Film
1955 Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum
1955 Jayasimha
1955 Rojulu Marayi
1956 Kaalam Maari Pochu
1956 C.I.D.
1957 Pyaasa
1958 12 O'Clock
1958 Solva Saal
1959 Kaagaz Ke Phool
1960 Kala Bazar
1960 Ek Phool Char Kaante
1960 Chaudhvin Ka Chand
1960 Girl Friend
1961 Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja
1962 Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam
1962 Bees Saal Baad
1962 Baat Ek Raat Ki
1962 Rakhi
1962 Abhijan
1963 Mujhe Jeene Do
1963 Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya
1963 Ek Dil Sao Afsane
1964 Kohra
1964 Shagoon
1964 Majboor
1965 Guide
1966 Teesri Kasam
1966 Dil Diya Dard Liya
1967 Patthar Ke Sanam
1967 Ram Aur Shyam
1967 Palki
1967 Ghar Ka Chirag
1968 Neel Kamal
1968 Aadmi
1968 Baazi
1969 Khamoshi
1969 Shatranj
1969 Meri Bhabhi
1970 Prem Pujari
1970 Man Ki Aankhen
1970 Dharti
1970 Darpan
1971 Man Mandir
1971 Reshma Aur Shera
1972 Zindagi Zindagi
1972 Trisandhya
1972 Subha-O-Sham
1972 Dil Ka Raaja
1973 Phagun
1973 Justice
1974 Bangaru Kalalu
1976 Aadalat
1976 Kabhi Kabhie
1978 Trishul
1979 Aaj Ki Dhara
1980 Jyoti Bane Jwala
1980 Jwalamukhi
1982 Sawaal
1982 Namak Halaal
1982 Namkeen
1982 Dharam Kanta
1983 Himmatwala
1983 Mahaan
1983 Coolie
1983 Pyaasi Aankhen
1983 Ghungroo
1984 Sunny
1984 Mashaal
1984 Maqsad
1985 Bayen Hath Ka Khel
1986 Singhasan
1986 Allah-Rakha
1989 Chandni
1991 Lamhe
1991 Swayam
1994 Ulfat Ki Nayee Manzilen
2002 Om Jai Jagadish
2005 Water
2005 Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara
2005 15 Park Avenue
2006 Rang De Basanti
2006 Chukkallo Chandrudu
2009 Delhi 6
Awards
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** National Film Award for Best Actress for Reshma Aur Shera in 1971.
** Filmfare Best Actress Award for Guide in 1966
** Filmfare Best Actress Award for Neel Kamal in 1968
** Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, Best Actress (Hindi) for Teesri Kasam in 1967.
** Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1994
** NTR National Award for 2006.
** Padma Shri in 1972.
** Padma Bhushan in 2011.
Nominations
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* Filmfare Nomination as Best Support.Actress — Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)
* Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress — Ram Aur Shyam (1967)
* Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress — Khamoshi (1970)
* Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress — Kabhi Kabhie (1976)
* Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress — Namkeen (1982)
* Filmfare Nomination as Best Supporting Actress — Lamhe (1991)
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Three Memorable Movies Of Waheeda Rehman
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(1) KHAMOSHI (1969)
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Khamoshi is a 1969 black-and-white Hindi film directed by Asit Sen, starring Rajesh Khanna and Waheeda Rehman. It especially remembered for its songs with music by Hemant Kumar and some haunting lyrics by Gulzar, who also wrote films equally effective dialogues. Though what really made this film stand out was the B &W cinematography by Kamal Bose, who won the Filmfare Award for its work. The film is considered Waheeda Rehman's finest acting feat, as she carries the entire film through her powerful yet understated acting, she received a Filmfare nomination for it.
Details
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* Directed by ---- Asit Sen
* Produced by ---- Geetanjali Films
* Written by ----- Gulzar (dialogue)
* Story by ------- Ashutosh Mukherjee
* Based on -------'Nurse Mitra', a story by Ashutosh Mukherjee
* Music by ------- Hemant Kumar
* Lyrics by------- Gulzar
* Cinematography-- Kamal Bose
* Release Date---- 1969
* Country -------- India
* Language ------- Hindi
Star Cast
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* Rajesh Khanna --- Arun Choudhury (Patient No.24)
* Waheeda Rehman -- Nurse Radha
* Dharmendra ------ Mr. Dev (Former Patient No.24) (Guest Appearance)
* Nazir Hussain --- Dr. Colonel Saab
* Snehlata -------- Sulekha (Arun's lfriend)
* Iftekhar -------- Doctor
* Lalita Pawar ---- Matron
* Deven Verma ----- Patient No.22
* Anwar Hussain---- Biharilal Gupta
Story
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Colonel Sahab is a doctor in a psychiatry ward and Nurse Radha (Waheeda Rahman) is heart-broken after a civilian patient, Dev Kumar (Dharmendra), whom she cared for, pouring out her love and affection, leaves the hospital, as she had been unable to keep her heart separate from her professional work and had fallen in love with her patient.
Next Arun Choudury (Rajesh Khanna), a writer and poet enters as a patient, suffering acute mania after being rejected by his lover, Sulekha. After refusing to take his care, Radha relents and starts nursing him.
In between while caring for Arun she reminisces her past and tells a story of how she took care of injured brave army soldiers when she was posted in Laddakh during the Sino-Indian war of 1962.
Gradually Arun gets cured by the love of Nurse Radha, who yet again falls hopelessly in love with her patient.
Unable to hide from the truth yet unable to face it, Radha herself goes insane and is admitted to the same clinic.
Arun, the hopeless Romeo, promises to wait for her until she is normal once again.
** Music
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* The music was composed by Hemant Kumar
* The lyrics were written by Gulzar
Songs -----------------------------------------Singers
* Tum pukar lo.. tumhaara intezaar hai ------------Hemant Kumar
* Woh Shaam Kuch ajeeb thi.. -------------------- Kishore Kumar
* Humne dekhee hai un aankhon ki mehekti ----- Suman Kalyanpur
* Aaj Ki Raat Charagon ----------------------------- Aarti Mukherjee
* Dost Kahan Koi Tumsa:--------------------------- Manna Dey
Awards and nominations
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* Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award (B&W film category): Kamal Bose
* Filmfare Nomination for Best Actress: Waheeda Rehman
Interesting Facts
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* The film was shot in Calcutta. The film is based on story titled, 'Nurse Mitra' by noted Bengali writer, Ashutosh Mukherjee, director Asit Sen had earlier filmed the story for the Bengali film Deep Jwele Jaai (1959) starring Suchitra Sen.
* Its ' Humne dekhee hai un aankhon ki mehekti khushbu' is sung by Suman Kalyanpur (NOT Lata Mangeshkar as many mistakenly believe)
* A Hollywood remake of the film, Silence, has been planned. It will be directed by Sanjay Patel and is rumoured to star Jennifer Aniston in the lead role.
* Director Asit Sen was different from the actor-comedian Asit Sen. Director Asit Sen acted in the original Bengali film Deep Jwélé Jaai (1959) in a role, which was essayed by Dharmendra in Khamoshi, where the movie-goers actually could not recognise him because it was a dark scene marked with the baritone voice of Hemant Kumar. Later he revealed himself in an interview in the 1990s.
* Dharmendra was in a guest appearance. His face is not shown in entire film. Only his back is seen in the film.
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(2) CHAUDHVIN KA CHAND (1960)
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Chaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. After a disastrous box-office performance of Kaagaz Ke Phool, this was a highly commercially successful and comeback movie for Guru Dutt. The movie saved Guru Dutt's home production studio from ruins. Some of the songs have been immortalized by beautiful lyrics, music and cinematography and are as popular today as they were in the days this movie was released.
Details
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* Presented by --------Guru Dutt Films Pvt. Ltd.
* Directed by --------- Mohammed Sadiq
* Produced by ------- Guru Dutt
* Written by ---------- Saghir Usmani
* Based on --------- Saghir's 'Jhalak'
* Dialogue --------- Tabish Sultanpuri
* Music by ----------- Ravi
* Lyrics by------------ Shakeel Badayuni
* Cinematography--- V.K. Murthy
* Art Direction ------ Biren Nag
* Language ----------- Hindi
Star Cast
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* Guru Dutt------------------ Aslam
* Waheeda Rehman---------Jameela
* Rehman ------------------- Pyare Nawab
* Johnny Walker------------ Mirza Shaiza
* Mumtaz Begum----------- Pyare Nawab's mother
* Minoo Mumtaz------------Tamizan ( Dancer )
* Pravin Paul ----------------Mirza Shaiza's mother
* Lata Sinha -----------------Naseema ( Aslam' cousin )
* Uma Devi (Tuntun)-------Naseeban
* Baby Farida----------------Mirza Shaiza's sister
Plot
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The setting is the city of Lucknow in northern India, where Islamic culture flourished. Aslam (Guru Dutt), Pyare Nawab (Rehman), and Mirza Shaiza (Johnny Walker), are best friends in Lucknow.
Two of the three best friends Aslam (Guru Dutt) and Nawab (Rehman) have fallen in love with the same woman named Jameela (Waheeda Rehman) unknowingly.
Pyare Nawab suggests Aslam marry a religious scholar's daughter Jameela (Waheeda Rehman), not knowing she's the same woman he's bowled over by and wants to marry.
Aslam and Jameela marry, and life is about to go on happily, except that Aslam soon discovers of Pyare's love for the woman.
Aslam is an orphan, and given he is indebted to Pyare for having ensured his well-being since his parents' death in his early youth, he is caught between love for his wife and love for his most loyal friend.
The film’s long-delayed revelation, when the nawab finally realizes that the woman he desires is his best friend’s wife, is a brilliant sequence that shifts our attention between visual perspectives (as well as external and internal voices) that are intricately composed through reflections in mirrors.
To save his best friend's married life Pyare Nawab commits suicide by licking the diamond.
An integral part of any Guru Dutt film, comic relief was provided by Johnny Walker who plays Mirza Masaraddik Shaiza.
Music
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* The Music of the film was by Ravi
* The lyrics WERE by Shakeel Badayuni
Songs Singer(s)
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* Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho Tum ------- Mohammad Rafi
* Mili Khak Main Mohabbat ------------- Mohammad Rafi
* Yeh Luckhnow ki Sarzameen---------- Mohammad Rafi
* Mera Yaar Bana Hai Dulha ------------ Mohammad Rafi
* Badle Badle Mere Sarkar ------------- Lata Mangeshkar
* Balam Se Milan Hoga ----------------- Geeta Dutt
* Bedardi Mere Saiyan ------------------ Asha Bhosle
* Sharma Ke Agar Yun Pardanashin---Asha Bhosl, Shamshad Begum
* Dil Ki Kahani Rang Layee Hai-------- Asha Bhosle
Awards
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* Filmfare Best Male Playback Award for Mohammed Rafi singing the title track
* Filmfare Best Lyricist Award for Shakeel Badayuni writing of the title track
* Filmfare Best Art Direction Award for Biren Nag
Interesting Facts--
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* According the interview by V.K. Murthy the movie made profits of then what a 100 movies were to have made. Everyone were sure of the movie's success, however not to the levels movie grossed.
* Though not directed by Guru Dutt, the movie has an unmistakable stamp of the maestro.
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(3) RAM AUR SHYAM (1964)
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Its producer B. Nagi Reddy previously produced Ramudu Bheemudu, a Telugu film starring N.T. Rama Rao, in 1964; Ram Aur Shyam is Nagi Reddi's Ramudu Bheemudu's Hindi version.
Details
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* Directed by------ Tapi Chanakya
* Produced by ----- Chakrapani, B. Nagi Reddi
* Written by ------ Kaushal Bharti, D.V. Narasaraju
* Music by -------- Naushad
* Lyrics by ------- Shakeel Badayuni
* Cinematography--- Marcus Bartley
* Editing by------- C. P. Jambulingam
* Release date----- 1967
* Running time ---- 171 min.
* Country --------- India
* Language -------- Hindi
Starcast
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* Dilip Kumar ............ Ram / Shyam
* Waheeda Rehman ... Anjana
* Mumtaz .................. Shanta
* Pran ....................... Gajendra
* Nirupa Roy ............. Sulakshana
* Baby Farida ............. Kuku
* Laxmi Chhaya .......... Dancer
* Leela Mishra ............. Ganga Mausi
* Zebunissa ................. Gajendra's mother
* Kanhaiyalal ............... Munimji
* Nazir Hussain ........... Anjana's father
* Sajjan ..........,,,,,,,,,,,. Police Inspector
* Mukri ....................... Murlidhar
Story
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Abused by an oppressive brother-in-law Gajendra (Pran), Ramchandrao (Dilip Kumar) runs away from home, and ends up in a small village where he is mistaken for Shyamrao (also Dilip Kumar), and had to accept Ganga (Leela Mishra)as mother and his new name or face severe exorcism.
Meanwhile, Shyamrao is mistaken for Ramchandrao by Anjana (Waheeda Rehman) and her dad (Nazir Hussain).
When Gajendra finds out, he is enraged and attempts to beat the stuffing out of the person he thinks is his brother-in-law, but Shyamrao refuses to be abused or beaten, and all of a sudden things start changing in the household as well as in the community.
It is not long before Gajendra finds out about the truth, and plans an ugly death for Shyamrao, and all those opposed to him.
** Sound Track
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** Music --Naushad
** Lyrics-- Shakeel Badayuni
Songs -------------------------------------Singers
* Aaj Ki Raat Mere Dil Ki Salami Lele------------Mohd.Rafi
* Aayee Hain Baharein Mite Zulmo Sitam--------Mohd.Rafi
* Aaj Sakhi Ri More Piya Ghar Aayere ----------Asha Bhonsle
* Main Hoon Saki Tu Hai Sharabi-----------------Lata and Mohd.Rafi
* Dheere Dheere Bol Koi Sun Lega --------------Asha and Mohd.Rafi
* O Balam Tere Pyar Ki Thandi Aag Mein -----Asha and Mohd. Rafi
Interesting Facts--
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* The theme owes its origins to Alexandre Dumas, père's story The Corsican Brothers: twins separated at birth who grow up with very different temperaments and then exchange places, leading to the villain being taught a lesson.
* Like The Corsican Brothers, which has been adapted into several feature films, Ram Aur Shyam has inspired remakes in Hindi movies too, with Seeta Aur Geeta (featuring female twins, played by Hema Malini) in 1972; Chaalbaaz (starring Sridevi) in 1989; and Kishen Kanhaiya (starring Anil Kapoor) in 1990.
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