Indian movie actress Waheeda Rehman was born in a traditional Urdu speaking family in Hyderabad in 1936. She joined the silver screen with the Telugu film `Jaisimha` in the year 1955, followed by `Rojulu Maraayi` in the same year. Guru Dutt cast her in a later film and brought her to Mumbai. Raj Khosla gave her the role of a courtesan in his directorial venture C.I.D. in the year 1956.
Career of Waheeda Rehman
Being an accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer Waheeda Rehman created a magical spell with her song `Kahin Pe Nigahein Kahin Pe Nishana` as she played the tricky seductress to lure the villain away. Soon after she was casted in Guru Dutt`s film `Pyasa` where she played the lead role. Pyaasa gave Waheeda Rehman a strong position in Bollywood. Films like `Chaudhvin Ka Chand`, `Solva Saal`, `Twelve O` Clock`, `Kaala Baazar` were the other hits delivered by her. She worked with legendary director Satyajit Ray in his film `Abhijaan` but could not make a mark. In 1965 she acted in a landmark movie of her career `Guide` opposite to Dev Anand that won her international critical acclaim as an actress. Her captivating performances in `Pathar Ke Sanam` in 1967 and `Neel Kamal` in 1968 affirmed her as an undisputed monarch of her domain.
Some of the famous films of Waheeda Rehman can be mentioned as `Ram Aur Shyam`, `Kabhi Kabhi`, `Bees Saal Baad`, `Prem Pujari`, `Mujhe Jeene Do`, `Kohra`, `Teesri Kasam`, `Khamoshi`, `Reshma Aur Shera`, and `Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam`. In these films, she played roles ranging from spectacular to very average ones. In the year 1974 she married to a fellow actor and a businessman Kamaljit and settled for a quiet life on a farmhouse adjacent to Bangalore.
Post marriage she appeared in `Kabhi Kabhie`, `Adalat`, `Namak Halal`, `Chaandhi` and `Lamhe`. She acted in `Om Jai Jagdish`, where she played the mother of trio Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan and Abhishek Bachhan. In recent days she has worked in `Water`, `Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara`, `15 Park Avenue`, and `Rang De Basanti`, Chukkallo Chandrudu and Delhi 6. Bollywood actress Waheeda Rehman is an excellent human being who looks after her family besides, lending a helping hand to a Mumbai based charity called Pratham. 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`.
Awards receivd by Waheeda Rehman
Waheeda Rehman got the Filmfare best actress award for `Guide` in 1965 and `Neel Kamal` in 1968. She got the National Award for `Reshma Aur Shera`. She was nominated for best actress as well as best supporting actress many a times and this includes `Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam`, `Ram Aur Shyam`, `Khamoshi`, `Kabhi Kabhie`, `Namkeen`, and `Lamhe`.
