Waheeda Rehman: An Embodiment of Beauty & Virtuosity

Shakeel Badayuni’s lyrics “Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho Ya Aftab Ho..”, are an exquisitely refined description of Waheeda Rehman’s bewitching prettiness. Her classic beauty is an example where a poet’s dreamily romantic imagination finds its match in real life. She possessed the mischievous streak of a precocious village belle. Waheeda, the quintessential beauty of Bollywood, has wooed the captive audience for decades with her charms and acting savoir faire without any sensual display of her limbs. She has an uncanny ability to give visible expression to innermost feelings through the entire spectrum of emotions. Most of her films were classic flabbergasted by her radiance on screen. She portrayed multi-layered characters like the role of seductive Gulabo in Pyasa, a defiant Rosie in Guide, coquettish Hira Bai of Teesri Kasam and emotionally deranged nurse Radha in Khamoshi. Her illustrious career-trajectory culminated in her attaining the iconic status.

Waheeda Rehman was born on February 8, 1936 in Chengalpattu (Town of Red Lotuses), Tamilnadu. The literal meaning of ‘Waheeda’ is “Unique or Unparallel” and her name was to prove remarkably prognostic. Her father, a liberal bureaucrat, allowed her to learn Bharatnatyam dance, a taboo for a Muslim girl those days. Her first public dance-performance was in front of C.Rajagopalachari, the erstwhile Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. She initially aspired to be a doctor, but destiny willed otherwise. The untimely death of her father and family circumstances changed her course of life. She embarked on her dancing talent and finally forayed into the acting field.

Waheeda faced the camera for the first time on January 19, 1955 in a Telugu movie ‘Jayasimha’, portraying the princess Padmini. Though it was her debut film but she never showed any signs of a newcomer, thanks to the training she had from Pundarikakshaiah. However, prior to ‘Jaisimha’, her solo-dance film ‘Rojulu Marayi’ was released on 14 April, 1955. The audience was crazy of her dance-song 'Eruvaaka Sagaroranno Chinnanna', which became an astounding success.

Waheeda’s ebullient dance-performance aided by some fortuitous events, prompted Guru Dutt to cast her for a vamps’ role in his suspense thriller “CID” (1956). Guru Dutt and director Raj Khosla considered the name ‘Waheeda’ a non catchy for a Hindi film actress, they insisted on changing her name. However, a strong-willed and candour Waheeda refused to yield to the pressure tactics. She elegantly performed the uninhibited dance movements in the song ‘Kahin Pe Nigahein..’. The film was a smash hit and she became part of Guru Dutt’s cavalcade.   

In her next film Pyaasa, she enacted Gulabo, a prostitute with a golden heart, who comforts the poet. Guru Dutt certainly brought out the best in her. In the film sequence, when she gets the news that her lover is killed under the train tracks, she was supposed to scream. But she just couldn’t. Guru Dutt worked out an alternative. She just crunched up the newspaper in her hand, closed her eyes and slid down. It was even more powerful than if she had actually screamed. It established that she could do wonders with her eyes.

During the shooting of Pyaasa (1957), she got involved in an unsuccessful love affair with director Guru Dutt. Their next venture Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) depicted the story of a successful director's decline after he falls for his leading lady. This film foreshadowed events in Guru Dutt's own life and their relationship turned sour, although they continued to work together in Chaudhvin Ka Chand and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.

Buoyant by her critical successes, Waheeda was keen on playing the doomed and drunken Chhoti bahu of Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962). But Guru Dutt deemed her too young for the role. Waheeda brought a breath of fresh air in this heavy film. Despite having an exclusive contract, Guru Dutt magnanimously permitted Waheeda to work in outside films like Solva Saal, Twelve o’Clock and Kaala Bazaar.

After breaking from Guru Dutt's banner, Waheeda continued to flourish. She gave astounding performance in two psycho thrillers Bees Saal Baad and Kohra. She won critical acclaim for her role of a danseuse in love with the dacoit in ‘Mujhe Jeene Do’ and struck gold with the spooky Bees Saal Baad. Waheeda’s enticing performances catapulted her screen-career into the highest echelons of Hindi film industry. She was the second highest paid Hindi actress in the 1960s.

She danced to the tunes of 'Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai' (Guide), a grandiose display of the intense joy of unfettered freedom enjoyed by exuberant Rosie. Guide showcased Waheeda’s dancing talent, besides giving her a chance to break the taboo against grey-shaded roles. Her producers were bewildered when she accepted the role of a debauchee. However, she refused to pay a heed to them and the rest is history.

Waheeda's refreshingly natural style of acting gave her an edge over the contemporary heroines. She had a penchant for picking hanky melodramas Palki, Dil Diya Dard Liya, Aadmi, Neel Kamal, but even there, she consciously steered clear of glycerol overdoses and hysterianics. In early 1970, she appeared in some critically acclaimed art films like Zindagi Zindagi, Reshma Aur Shera, Khamoshi and Trisandhya etc. However, after failure of Trisandhya, she got disheartened with the whole art film genre and refused to do Ankur.

During her long career, she has worked with some of the biggest directors and actors of her time. She had great working relationship with Dev Anand in number of successful movies CID, Solva Saal, Kala Bazar, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Baat Ek Raat Ki, Guide and Prem Pujari. She acted opposite Sunil Dutt in Ek Phool Char Kaante, Mujhe Jeene Do, Reshma Aur Shera, Meri Bhabhi and Darpan. With Bollywood thespian Dilip Kumar, she appeared in a string of hits Ram Aur Shyam and Aadmi.

Her last hit movie as heroine was Man Mandir (1971). She played a mother to Jaya Bhaduri in Phagun (1973), which eventually dried up leading-lady roles for her. Thereafter, she was cast mainly in character roles. Kabhi Kabhie, Trishul, Coolie, Namak Halaal, Mashaal and Chandni.

At the zenith of her acting career, Waheeda Rehman married Shashi Rekhi (Kamaljeet Singh) her co-star in the film Shagun, on 27 April 1974. Her son Sohail is an M.B.A. while her daughter Kashvi is a Jewelery designer. She set up ‘Good Earth Foods’, a breakfast-cereal unit in Bangalore. Interestingly her pinup photographs boosted the sales making her a successful entrepreneur woman.

She took sanyas from films after her appearance in Lamhe (1991) and shunned the glitz and glamour of Bollywood. After an extended break, Waheeda was set to star in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham but the sudden demise of her husband forced her to opt out. However, she staged a come-back after a decade with Om Jai Jagdish followed by Rang De Basanti, 15, Park Avenue and Delhi 6 etc. She has gracefully reincarnated herself from a leading lady to a character artiste. She is content to do occasional films and recently she appeared in films like ‘Jiya Na Jaye’, Vishwaroopam 2 and Arshinagar (Bangali).  

She has acted in over 70 films and in each one, she left an indelible impression. Apart from Hindi, she also did films in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, English and Bengali languages. She also had a brief stint with small screen.

Waheeda Rehman won the Filmfare Best Actress Award for her outstanding performance in Guide and Neel Kamal. She won the National Award for her excellent off-beat role in Reshma Aur Shera. She was bestowed with Padma Shri in 1972 and Padma Bhusan in 2011. Waheeda is the first recipient of the Centenary Award for the Indian Film Personality of the Year.

She is a goodwill ambassador for an NGO, Pratham. She has also been involved with Spastics Society and SOS Villages for many years. Waheeda gorges on Dosas from Chennai and misses its famous Marina beach. She loves reading and also indulges in photography. She is yoga exponent and takes everything in life in her stride. She enjoys her music, be it Nat King Cole or SD Burman. She wishes to be a singer in her next life.

A stellar performer, Waheeda Rehman has turned 81 this month, but still she has the same charisma, as lovely as ever. Resplendent in burnt orange, she is born for the camera. Her appeal that transcends time through generations.