Waheeda Rehman

Waheeda Rehman (born 3 February 1938) is an Indian actress. Regarded as one of the greatest and most accomplished actresses of Hindi cinema, she has appeared in more than 90 feature films, in a career spanning over five decades. Her accolades include a National Film Award and three Filmfare Awards. She was honoured with India's civilian awards, the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011. In 2021 she was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema.

Rehman made her acting debut with the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi (1955). She rose to prominence by her collaborations with Hindi filmmaker Guru Dutt in the dramas Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962). She received widespread critical acclaim for the romantic drama Guide (1965), for which she won her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She won the award again for her performance in the romantic thriller Neel Kamal (1968), and additionally earned nominations for her roles in the comedy Ram Aur Shyam (1967) and the drama Khamoshi (1969). For portraying a clanswoman in the crime drama Reshma Aur Shera (1971), she won the National Film Award for Best Actress.

Since the 1970s, Rehman has worked primarily in supporting roles, appearing in Yash Chopra's romantic dramas Kabhie Kabhie (1976), Chandni (1989) and Lamhe (1991), and action films Trishul (1978) and Mashaal (1984). Her other notable supporting roles were in the films Namkeen and Namak Halaal in 1982. In 1994, she was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. Following a hiatus, she has worked intermittently, appearing in the social dramas Water (2005), Rang De Basanti (2006) and Delhi 6 (2009).

Apart from her acting career, Rehman is a philanthropist. She is an advocate for education and is an ambassador for RangDe, an organisation combating poverty in India.

Waheeda Rehman was born on 3 February 1938 to a Deccani Muslim family in Chengalpet of present-day Tamil Nadu, India. It is a common misconception that Rehman was born in Hyderabad instead of Tamil Nadu. Her father was Mohammed Abdur Rehman and her mother was Mumtaz Begum, and she was the youngest out of four daughters. As a child, she and her sisters were trained in Bharatanatyam in Chennai. She studied in St. Joseph's Convent in Visakhapatnam when her father was posted there in the then-Madras Presidency. Her father, who worked as a district commissioner, died in 1951 while she was in her early teens.

Rehman's dream was to become a doctor, but due to her family's circumstances emotionally and financially, alongside her mother's illness, she abandoned her goal. In order to help her family, she accepted movie offers that stemmed from her dancing abilities.

Rehman made her film debut with the Tamil film Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum as a dancer. However, the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi (1955) released prior to that; where she again performed in a dance. The same year, she also played the lead role opposite N. T. Rama Rao in the film Jayasimha. Subsequently, her cameo appearance in Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum released in 1956. Based on the folktale Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, it was the first Tamil film to be colourised. In the mid-1950s, she established a working relationship with Dev Anand wherein they had a number of successful films to their credit which include Solva Saal (1958). Suresh Kohli of The Hindu writes on her performance in Solva Saal; "Though barely 20 then and only in her fourth Hindi release, Rehman demonstrates her class: both in serious scenes demanding intensity and through sparkling, mischievous eye movements during lighter moments."

Rehman's performances caught the eye of Hindi filmmaker Guru Dutt, whom she considered her mentor. Dutt brought her to Bombay (present-day Mumbai) and cast her as Kamini in the crime thriller C.I.D. (1956). Because of the trend set of the then popular actresses such as Madhubala, Nargis and Meena Kumari, Waheeda was asked to use a stage name, reasoning that her name should be "something sexy", which she refused and continued with her birth name. Dutt would next cast her in her first lead role in Hindi films in the drama Pyaasa (1957), where she portrayed a prostitute. The film was a commercial success, and it has been regarded by critics as one of the greatest films ever made. She continued collaborations with Dutt which include the noir film 12 O'Clock (1958), the romantic drama Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), and the Muslim social film Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960); all of which earned her critical praise. Rehman and Dutt's last collaboration was the romantic drama Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), which starred Dutt , Meena Kumari, and Rehman herself in a supporting role. The film was a major success, being lauded by both Indian and international critics. This earned Rehman her first Filmfare nomination in the category of Best Supporting Actress, meanwhile the film itself received nominations for the Golden Bear at the 13th Berlin International Film Festival and won the Filmfare Award for Best Film.