Wahida Rehman, Indian film actress: biography, filmography

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Vahida Rehman is a famous actress whose star was lit in the heyday of Indian cinema. The filmography of the film star, who recently celebrated her 78th birthday, includes over 80 films. Next year, two films with her participation are waiting for fans at once, this indicates that she continues to actively act in film, even entering old age. What is known about this talented Indian, whose name is known to the whole world?

Wahida Rehman: childhood years

The future star of Indian cinema was born in New Delhi, a joyful event took place in February 1938. Vahida Rehman grew up in a large family, she has three sisters. The girl's father was an employee of the Indian Administrative Service, her mother was a housewife. The family of the future actress professed Islam.

The first years of the girl's life were spent in Jaipur, where her family moved. She studied at a school that worked at the monastery of St. Joseph. Waheeda Rehman since childhoodgravitated toward creativity, her passion was dancing. The future actress was barely ten when the family lost her father.

Career start

Already at the age of ten, the girl began to offer small roles in films, but her mother was categorically against this. Vahida turned 15 when her mother finally gave in and allowed her daughter to star in the film Rojulu Marayi. In this film, an inexperienced actress got a small role, which involved participation in a dance number. Looking ahead, the mother died shortly before her heiress made her Bollywood debut.

Surprisingly, it was the number performed by Vakhida that critics considered the main advantage of the picture, and the audience also remembered it. One of the admirers of the dance of the young beauty was director Guru Dutt, who suggested that the girl move to Bombay. The master is the person to whom Wahida Rehman owes much of her success. She has starred in many pictures taken by this man, whom she dated for several years.

Creative tandem

In fact, the career of the actress began with Guru Datta's drama "Detective", as it was her first picture in Hindi. The key role in this tape was given to the famous Dev Anand. Wahida Rehman captivated the audience with the performance of the song. It was an episode in which her heroine tried to charm the villain in order to save the hero. This film has already shown that the aspiring actress can not only dance and sing, but also act.

Soon the rising star receivedhis first lead role in a film directed by Guru Dutt again. In the drama "Thirst", the girl got the image of a prostitute Gulabo, who became a victim of difficult life circumstances. The collaboration that started well continued, Vahida played in many subsequent films of her patron: “Paper Flowers”, “Full Moon”, “Master, Lady and Servant”. All these tapes were released in the early 60s.

Wahida and Dev

Dev Anand is another person who contributed to the career of the famous actress, who was already considered to be Vahida Rehman at that time. The biography of the Indian woman indicates that they have a lot of joint projects. Perhaps the most famous of them was the film "Guide", which was released in 1965.

In this sensational picture at the time, the movie star embodied the image of the beautiful Rosie. Her heroine leaves her husband who mocked her, runs away from home with a charming and gentle guide who fell in love with her. It is known that Vahida thought for a long time before accepting this role. She was terrified by the backlash from conservative Indian viewers, which however did not follow.

Bright roles of the 60s

Perhaps, it was the 60s that turned out to be the most successful period in the life of such a wonderful actress as Vahida Rehman. Films with her participation came out one after another, gave the mysterious beauty more and more new fans. For the role in the film "The Trip", filmed in 1962, the actress had to learn the Bengali language, which she did not speak. In 1967, the drama The Third Oath was released,in which the famous male role was played by the famous Raj Kapoor. Vahida in this tape embodied the image of a dancer and singer who falls in love with a random fellow traveler. Of course, this film is full of colorful dance numbers and spectacular dramatic episodes.

"Ram and Shyam" is another famous film in which the actress played one of the key roles in the second half of the 60s. The role went to the prima donna quite by accident, as the actress who was supposed to play it refused at the last moment. Her colleague on the set was famous in India and beyond, Dilip Kumar. The film "Ram and Shyam", which tells about the misadventures of twin brothers separated in early childhood, amazed even its creators with commercial success.

It is impossible not to mention the drama "Silence", released in 1969. Vahida in this picture embodied the image of an employee of a psychiatric clinic.

70s Movies

The famous Indian film actress was actively filming in the 70s. First of all, the drama "Reshma and Shera" should be noted, when writing the script of which the scriptwriters used the images of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The star recalls the filming process with horror, as the group had to work in almost extreme conditions. For several months, the actors lived in tents located in the middle of the desert. However, the role won Rehman the National Film Award in 1972.

Already in the second half of the 70s, Vakhida began to embody mainlyimages of the mothers of the main characters. For example, five times the actress happened to be the "mother" of Amitabh Bachchan. Rehman coped with such roles as flawlessly as she once played fatal beauties.

Private life

Guru Dutt is the person with whom Wahida Rehman was in love for many years. India, as already mentioned, recognized and fell in love with the actress largely thanks to the help of this talented person. The star couple broke up immediately after their joint project "Master, Lady and Servant" failed at the Berlin Film Festival.

The actress decided to tie the knot in 1974, her chosen one was the actor Shashi Rekhi. The romance broke out after the young people met on the set of the film Enchanted. The marriage ceremony was modest, only the closest people of the lovers received invitations. In 1975, a son appeared in the family, and in 1976, a daughter. Wahida became a widow in 2000 when her husband died from a serious illness.

Long vacation

To the disappointment of fans, the actress practically did not act in films in the 80s and 90s. She chose to devote herself to raising children, living with her family on a farm in Bangalore, in this peaceful place, Waheeda Rehman and her husband moved a few years after the wedding. When the children grew up and no longer needed constant maternal care, the actress decided to try her hand at business.

Wahida and her close friend Asharafa Satghar created a factory specializing in making breakfast cereals together. new hobbythe actress was captured for a long time, she enthusiastically engaged in the development and promotion of her business project. Unfortunately, life circumstances forced her to leave the factory, she sold her share in 2005, which she regretted many times in the future.

The only noteworthy film in which the actress took part during this period is "Moments of Love".

Triumphant return

Wahida Rehman was back on the set only in 2002, when she was persuaded to play a small role in the film "Intimacy". This was followed by other successful tapes with her participation: "Water", "The Color of Saffron", "Delhi 6". In 2005, the actress again played in the same film with Sumitra Chatterjee, with whom she had previously starred in many films. It was a painting of 15 Park Avenue.

In 2017, fans of the star will have two pleasant surprises at once. At this time, two film projects with her participation should be released at once: "The Song of the Scorpions", "The Many-Faced Janus 2".

Interesting facts

Few people know that the movie star is a goodwill ambassador, she does not advertise it. Wahida has been working with Pratham, an organization that specializes in children's education, for many years.

It is possible that in a few years a book will be published containing a description of the life path traveled by a talented actress. This work is going to be done by Nasreen Kabir, who studies the history of Indian cinema. The writer intends to use interviews of film stars as sources, and readers will also find an abundance of fun facts related tofilming process. Unfortunately, it is difficult to predict when exactly the book will be available to buyers, but it is known that work on this work is already underway with the active participation of Rehman herself and her daughter.