Wishing Waheeda Rehman a Very Happy 83rd Birthday


We at the Su-Niti News wish one of Indian Cinema's most stunning & beautiful Legendary Actress Waheeda Rehman Ji a very Happy & Healthy 83rd Birthday (3 February 1938) who has a career spanning over five decades.

Early Age Struggles:

Born in Chingleput (now Chengalpattu) in the erstwhile Madras Presidency, young Waheeda wanted to become a doctor. Her father's sudden demise followed by her mother's illness, however, compelled her to give up studies and start working to support her family. Waheeda began her career as a dancer in Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum (1955) and caught the attention of many renowned directors. 

Her debut was followed by appearances in the Telugu films Rojulu Marayi and Jayasimha, and the Tamil film Kaalam Mari Pochu. At the success party of Rojulu Marayi held in Bombay, Waheeda Rehman was spotted by actor-director Guru Dutt, the man whom she came to consider her mentor and who set her on the path to stardom.

Waheeda Rehman's first venture with Guru Dutt was CID (1956) directed by Raj Khosla, in which she played a vamp. The success of the film and her portrayal led to Guru Dutt casting her in leading roles in films such as Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), and Saheb Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), some of which were hits and most of which came to be considered classics.

Waheeda's journey with Guru Dutt ended with the latter's untimely death in 1964. But her association with Dev Anand, her first co-star in CID, was also very fruitful, with remarkable projects like Solva Saal (1958), Kala Bazar (1960), Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja (1961), Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962), Guide (1965) and Prem Pujari (1970). She was also cast by the great Satyajit Ray in Abhijaan (1962). She delivered solid performances alongside established stars like Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Biswajit. Her biggest box-office hit came with Rajesh Khanna in Asit Sen's Khamoshi (1969).

Waheeda Rehman also experimented with her characters in films like Ek Phool Char Kante (1960), Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), Meri Bhabhi (1969), and many more, winning critical acclaim though some of the films failed at the box office. She won the Filmfare award for Best Actress for Guide and Neel Kamal (1968), and the National award for Best Actress for Reshma Aur Shera (1971). She did not appear in films after Yash Chopra's Lamhe (1991) for a dozen years, making a comeback with Om Jai Jagadish (2002). This was followed by a number of films like Water (2005), Rang De Basanti (2006), 15 Park Avenue (2006) and Delhi-6 (2009), in which she played elderly characters with grace. She was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the president of India in 2011.

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