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Posted: 18 years ago
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The Rediff Interview / Waheeda Rehman

'Nobody really knows what happened on October 10'

Raja Sen | October 11, 2004

Waheeda RehmanWaheeda Rehman, dazzling star of the silver screen, considered Guru Dutt her mentor. In this interview with rediff.com, she recounts working with the legendary director as his leading lady, in some of his finest work.

You began your career with Guru Dutt. How was it working with him as an actress?

I was a newcomer when I started working with him. It was a nice experience. He was a good director, especially for newcomers. He would understand their shortcomings and problems and rectify it himself.

He would give us options to do things in different ways so we would find it easier. He knew how to extract performances from actors. It was very comfortable working with him from the beginning.

How was he compared to other directors?

I would say Vijay Anand was very good, and Ashish Sen, with whom I did Khamoshi, is also very good. The three of them had the rare talent to be able to push actors to the limits and make them perform.

Dev Anand was extremely cooperative towards a newcomer. He never made me feel that he was a big star and I, a newcomer. He built my confidence by telling me not to worry.

CID was your first film with Guru Dutt.

I was very nervous, but not to face the camera. I was conscious of my voice, thinking I had a very bad one. The recordists would tell me that while working, whether good or bad, you have to speak a little loudly. That was a great problem.

Any particular incidents you remember from the making of the film?

With Dev Anand in C.I.D.Yes. Once we were shooting at Mumbai's Churchgate Station after midnight. In those days, I would sleep very early. I was very sleepy. Dev and myself were waiting for the shot to be arranged, and I asked Dev why do we have to shoot at night? Why can't we just shoot the scene in the morning?

He replied very sweetly, 'Waheeda, because there is so much crowd in the day, so many commuters. We can't ask commuters and trains to stop for us!'

I felt very childish and silly to have asked that question. Naturally, the scene was night as well, and obviously we had to have shot at night!

Kahin pe nigaahen kahin pe nishaana was my favourite song of the film.

Pyaasa came next, a dramatic masterpiece.

Jaane kya tune kahi, jaane kya maine suni -- it was picturised very beautifully, people appreciated me very much in that song.

Funnily enough, the same thing happened. We shot late at night in Kolkata. During the shooting, I would fall asleep in my chair, and they would come and spray water on my face when the shot was ready!

Guru Dutt would ask me to drink tea, though I was not a tea drinker, because he said it would wake me up. Whenever I see the song now, I wonder how I did that while I was so sleepy! (laughs) It's so strange to see something on screen which was very different during its making.

How was Guru Dutt during its making? It was such an intense film.

In those days, I didn't have a great understanding of cinema, I was young -- just over 17 years old. I simply obeyed the directors. My advantage was, being a dancer, I could emote and give facial expressions. But dialogues made me nervous --the same mental block that I had a bad voice. I still feel that way. I still feel there is so much to learn.

I wish there were acting schools in those days. Maybe I could have done a better job.

Guru Dutt Guru Dutt in Pyaasawas a serious person, yes. He used to be very impatient, not with the artistes, but with the technicians --especially the camera crew. Jaldi karo, jaldi karo yaar, abhi tak shot kyon nahin ready hua? He was always in a hurry because he was constantly thinking about the next shot, the next scene, the next movie.

We often told him that you've just given the instructions, it has to take some time to execute them, be patient. But he used to be very restless.

Also, he used to shoot a lot of retakes. At first, people in the industry thought he was a novice director, and so didn't know the craft. But the truth is that he was never satisfied. Ek aur, ek aur, ek aur.

What used to happen with me was that my first take would be very good, and my second would wane, then the third would be fine again. This puzzled him, and he asked me why only my alternating takes were good. I would reply that it's because, between successive takes, I would lose all my energy!

But it was not just me -- his own performances, Rehmansaab, Mala Sinha, whoever -- he used to constantly shoot many retakes. He always felt that it could be better; it could be improved upon.

An obsessive perfectionist?

Oh yes, definitely! He was so involved with the technical aspects of the film. He used to discuss with V K Murthysaab, tell him how he needed a shot to look, how he had imagined it. He was lucky to get a cameraman like him -- they were a great pair with a very good understanding of each other. Their collaboration worked very well.

True, they crafted several memorable films together. Your next film was Kaagaz Ke Phool. What comes to mind?

Once, we were shooting a scene where our car meets with an accident. After that, I went home with the make-up, blood et al, and said I had met with an accident. The house was in an uproar -- why hadn't you called, are you all right, and so on.

Then I burst out laughing and told them. But the funny thing was that a month later, I actually met with a car accident. Thankfully, it was only a small accident, but the coincidence is something I still remember.

My favourite song from that film was Waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam.

Your next film was Chaudhvin Ka Chand.

When Chaudhvin Ka Chand was released, it was a big success and very well appreciated. At that time, colour films had just started to be made, and Guru Dutt decided to take the title song of the film, shoot it in colour and rerelease it with new fanfare.

While reshooting the song in colour, they used hard, huge lights directly on my face, and my skin burnt; we had to shoot constantly with ice-packs being applied, and my eyes were red from all the heat.

Chaudhvin Ka ChandLater, we heard from the Censor Board that the song is very 'hot!' and lascivious, which shocked Guru Dutt. He argued it was the same shot, the same movements from last time, only shot in colour! They replied that Waheeda's eyes have turned red. He was bewildered, and said yes, but that happens while shooting, but what does it have to do with anything? They told him that it was very sensual and suggestive!

He came back and had a big laugh about it, 'yeh Censor waale'! (laughs) I guess if that Censor Board were here now, it would faint at seeing today's films!

Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam was your next major collaboration, and there is curiosity always surrounding this film. It is rumoured that Guru Dutt directed the film, but gave Abrar Alvi (his writer on several films) the directorial credit?

Not really. Of course, he did help Mr Alvi throughout but this was because the two were close friends, and he felt like giving Mr Alvi the chance to direct a film. I'm sure he helped quite a bit, but then any director, when giving a film to a colleague, does take interest and lend a hand of support. But Guru Dutt did not direct the film.

Leaving films aside, how was Guru Dutt as a person?

A very simple and down to earth human being. Even after the early success of CID and Pyaasa, he didn't suddenly change and become arrogant. Very quiet and simple, he was a very sensitive man. He always felt for the underdog. He was an emotional person.

When did you first meet? On the sets of CID itself?

I first met him in Hyderabad, where he called me over to Mumbai, for the screen test. Then I shot just for CID for a couple of months, exclusively, after which we began work for Pyaasa.

Guru Dutt is a legend, and immortalised cinema. He was an institution, and much is studied about his films. But outside of movies, what were his interests?

Actually, after the shooting is done, there is not much interaction. So much time spent professionally together means mostly all the industry folk try to get away from film as much as possible when they aren't working. Social interactions are at a minimum, except occasionally running into each other at a child's birthday party, etc.

More on rediff.com!



Starring Ash, Rekha and Johnny Depp!

Wish Amitabh Bacchhan!

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I know he used to go for fishing a lot, with Johnny Walker! He really enjoyed fishing, and the two have taken us along a few times as well, but mostly they were impassioned discussions about fishing the next day at the sets, about how big a fish they caught yesterday, etc. I'm not sure about other interests, but he loved fishing!

Have you ever seen him in a bad mood?

Well, as I mentioned, he did lose patience on the sets quite a bit. But even besides that, he would often lapse into spells of silence. While we'd all be gathered around chatting about the latest English films or whatever, he would be sitting by himself, totally lost and away from the world around him.

We used to call to him, and he'd 'wake' with a start. He'd be thinking about something else, very distracted.

How did the box office affect him? Did it matter a lot to him whether his films did well or would he just carry on ahead regardless?

Sahib Bibi Aur GhulamAfter Kaagaz Ke Phool flopped, which flopped miserably in those days, we immediately started work on Chaudhvin Ka Chand. He was disappointed, but he also instinctively knew somewhere that yeh film itni badi bani hai, shaayad nahin chalegi -- he was very philosophical about it all.

Chaudhvin Ka Chand was a great success. It didn't affect him in the way that a hit would make him yell and jump for joy, and a flop would make him cry. He was the same, and it was life.

He used to say, "Life mein, yaar, kya hai? Do hi toh cheezen hai – kamyaabi aur failure. There is nothing in between."

How would you sum up what one could learn from Guru Dutt?

He was very sensitive towards struggling artists, those hardpressed for money. He used to really feel for these people, he was very sympathetic. He used to pick up forgotten artists -- like Rehmansaab made his comeback through character roles; and former leading lady Ruby Meyer -- as he felt that merely a bad patch should not be the parameter to judge a person by.

For example, he got a lot of criticism from colleagues when he gave the directorial reign to Sadiqsaab for Chaudhvin ka Chand: they told him that his last films have been a flop, why are you letting Sadiq direct this? He disagreed and explained that, being from a Muslim background, Sadiq might better know the delicate nuances I might be unaware of. The film has to be made without compromise, that is the main thing. And what of flops? Meri Kaagaz ke Phool bhi to flop hui thi.

October 10 was a very tragic day. As a colleague and friend, do you know why things happened the way they did?

(sighs) Till today, nobody knows. Just this evening, I was speaking to his sister (Lalita Lajmi) and niece (Kalpana Lajmi). Nobody really knows what happened.

At the time, I wasn't in Mumbai, I was in Chennai and returned to this horrific news. I do think he had tried a couple of times before that, as well. I'm not aware of his mental state at the time either, since when you move on to a different project, you get caught up entirely in it. It's just very sad, and a great loss for cinema and all of us. A very tragic day indeed

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greatmaratha thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#2
Beautiful lady, Graceful lady... Gracious lady. Despite all that had been written about their relationship, she has conducted herself with so much dignity.

Thanks for sharing.
manjujain thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#3
Does that mean GuruDutt committed suicide, I never knew that. Priya you are correct that's what I remember reading that GuruDutt was in love with Waheeda ji.

I saw Waheeda Rehman as a special guest appearance in Lata Mangeshkar's show, may be 8 yrs ago she looked beautiful even that time.

Thanks punjini ji for the article!!!
Edited by manjujain - 18 years ago
*Jaya* thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#4
Womderful article - thanks for sharing Sahana'ji 😊
soulsoup thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#5
Thanks Sahana 😊

As a matured graceful lady Waheeda carried herself well and avoided making any controversial and foolish comments!

That reminds me of Madhavi Mukherjee's loose comments after Satyajit Ray's death!


*Jaya* thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#6

Originally posted by: soulsoup

Thanks Sahana 😊

As a matured graceful lady Waheeda carried herself well and avoided making any controversial and foolish comments!

That reminds me of Madhavi Mukherjee's loose comments after Satyajit Ray's death!


Can you throw more light on this one Anol? I am not aware of it!

greatmaratha thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#7
Some more information on Waheeda Rehman

Waheeda Rehman was the embodiment of classic Muslim beauty with a truly transcendental appeal.

Born into a traditional Muslim family in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, she was trained in Bharatnatyam. Her first film was the Telegu film Jaisimha (1955) followed by Rojulu Marayi (1955), which was a huge success.

She was spotted by Guru Dutt in a song in the latter film and was brought to Bombay and cast as the vamp in his production C.I.D. (1956) directed by his protg, Raj Khosla. The song Kahin Pe Nigahein Kahin Pe Nishana as she tries to seduce the villain and allow the hero to escape reveal her extraordinary facial mobility and dancer's grace.

She broke through the following year with Guru Dutt's masterpiece Pyaasa in the role of the prostitute with the heart of gold. The way she blended nuances of love, desire and despair as she follows Guru Dutt up the stairs to the terrace to the strains of Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Laga Lo was amazing. But by now she had also got involved with Guru Dutt. And it was ironic that his wife Geeta Dutt's voice was used on Waheeda Rehman the actress as she 'sang' sweet nothings to Guru Dutt.

Kaagaz ke Phool (1959) proved autobiographical. Guru Dutt's marital status and her success in films outside his tore them apart personally and professionally. In fact Waheeda Rehman completed Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) under some strain. They broke away from each other after the film's indifferent reception at the Berlin Film Festival in 1963 even though it was much acclaimed in India and even won the President's Silver Medal. Guru Dutt could never really get over her and committed suicide in 1964.

Meanwhile Waheeda worked with Satyajit Ray in Abhijaan (1962), which unfortunately for her was one of the great director's weakest films and consolidated her position as a top star in the Bollywood Film Industry with Bees Saal Baad (1962), a huge hit based on The Hound of the Baskervilles. Strong performances in Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), a dacoit drama and Kohra (1964), a re-make of Hitchcock's Rebecca (1940) followed.

With Guide (1965), she reached the peak of her career. Though the novelist R.K. Narayan on whose book it was based, disowned the film, he had no complaints with Waheeda's performance as Rosie. It was a daring role to play, of a woman who leaves her stifling impotent husband and lives with her lover, a guide who helps her in her ambitions to become a famous dancer. It is to Waheeda's credit that she was able to humanize Rosie to get the viewer's sympathy with her. Whether breaking the metamorphic pot of social constraints or dancing precariously over a ledge in keeping with her dangerous new desires, Waheeda was outstanding in the film.

After Guide, Waheeda's career graph was strange to say the least. Her commercial successes Ram Aur Shyam (1967) and Pathar ke Sanam (1967) hardly challenged her histrionic ability and the films that did so - Teesri Kasam (1966), Khamoshi (1969) and Reshma Aur Shera (1971) bombed at the box-office in spite of some of her best work as an actress.

In 1974 Waheeda married Kamaljeet, a businessman, who had tried his luck in films in the 1960s and failed, and moved to Bangalore. She turned to character roles, often playing Amitabh Bachchan's mother (Bachchan has always cited her to be his favourite actress) but in the 1980s and 90s, she gradually cut down on film work, busying herself with marketing her brand of breakfast cereal while leading a contented life on her farmhouse in Bangalore.

Her last film was Lamhe (1991). (Although a long delayed old film Ulfat ki Nayi Manzilein made it to the theatres in 1994) In Lamhe, director Yash Chopra paid her the ultimate tribute by getting her to dance to her Guide hit Aaj Phir Jeene ki Tamanna Hai!

Today after eleven years she is back playing mother to Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan and Abhishek Bachchan in Anupam Kher's Om Jai Jadgish.


Edited by s.priya - 18 years ago
manjujain thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#8
Good information Priya. Thanks for it. if i know correctly waheeda never married, am I right?
greatmaratha thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#9
She married Kamaljeet, a Businessman from Bangalore and she is now settled down there. 😊
manjujain thumbnail
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Posted: 18 years ago
#10
Thanks Priya, I didn't know that. I just feel sad for geeta dutt, guru dutt ne sucide kiya & uska to basa basaya ghar barbaad ho gaya tha. she also died unhappily too.

Originally posted by: s.priya

She married Kamaljeet, a Businessman from Bangalore and she is now settled down there. 😊

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