Trip down the memory lane with Mala Sinha

Meena Kumari passed on Jahan Ara to Mala

Mala was on a winning spree, what with a string of hits in a row - Geet, Lalkar, Aankhen, Himalaya Ki God Mein, Suhagan, Bahurani, Anpadh and Hariyali Aur Rasta- Mala was much in demand not only as the oomph girl but also as a sensitive actor. Of her rich and varied repertoire of films, Mala is rather partial to Jahan Ara, a historical that Meena Kumari passed on to her, "Meenaji turned down the role saying that she wouldn't look the part whereas I would. Given my ignorance of Urdu, I was rather skeptical but Meenaji was convinced that I could do justice to the role. Playing Mumtaz Mahal's eldest daughter entailed grueling Urdu classes and learning royal tehzeeb. It was hot on the grand sets erected at Ranjit Studio and the film had Madan Mohan's haunting music. It was a film replete with lyrical moments," she recalls fondly.

Shy Dharam, impish Rajesh, jovial Raj Kumar, child-like Sanjeev, reserved Amitabh…

Mala launched many a new hero in her heyday; Dharmendra was but a lanky newcomer when he was cast opposite her in Anpadh. "He was so handsome and well built Hindi cinema's first he-man. But he was no struggler, he already had a moderate hit to his credit when he was chosen for Anpadh but this was a bigger banner and a better break for him," stresses Mala, elaborating on how Dharam turned beetroot-red and broke into a cold sweat when their very first scene turned out to be that of the suhaag raat and only 3-4 takes later he got his act right, "But success changes everything, later when we acted in Aankhen, Dharamji became bold and beautiful especially with the fairer sex," she reveals with a hearty laugh.

Her Maryada hero Rajesh Khanna was really naughty and always playing pranks. "We were shooting the song 'Chup ke se dil de de ...' in Filmalaya Studios, I was all dressed to kill with a plunging neckline and on my way to the set I heard a piercing wolf-whistle. I turned back to lash out in anger and there I saw Rajesh sitting under a tree telling me mischievously, "My compliments!". My anger just evaporated," she recalls.

Raaj Kumar ranked among Mala's favourite leading men, she remembers him as someone who didn't change at all with times, "He was the same jovial person I knew from the Nausherwan-E-Adil days. Sohrab Modi directed as well as acted in the film and he was a very strict person with stiff ways, Raj Kumar would mimic his mannerisms and keep us in splits. He was a jolly good man, I have never seen him grumpy," she relates.

Mala is full of fond memories of Sanjeev Kumar, "He was a very sensitive actor, he never acted he just became the character. But off-screen he was very child-like; he dropped by at our place unannounced one day and declared that he would lunch with us. My Baba was embarrassed because we are fish-eaters and we had nothing much to offer a Gujarati vegetarian! But he assured us that he didn't mind eating fish at all. He ate heartily picking out fish-bones as deftly as we do." Rivaaz and Zindagi are two of the films in which they co-starred.

Amitabh Bachchan, who co-starred with her in Sanjog, was "always a very cultured young man who spoke Hindi flawlessly", Mala recalls his rich baritone and his true-to-life performances, "Somehow he never opened up to me, perhaps owing to my seniority, but he was always respectful towards me," she remarks.

Adieu Baba, adieu films!

During her first Nepali film Maitighar, Mala fell in love with her hero C P Lohani. They were soon married and were blessed with a lovely daughter Pratibha. Domestic responsibilities never came in the way of her career, Mala continued acting even after marriage and child-birth and graduated to substantial character roles with Zindagi, "Which was just like Baghban, perhaps not as glamorous," she admits. She was last seen in Khel ('91), Raadha Ka Sangam ('92) and Zid ('94). Her heart was no longer in acting, and she missed her father sorely.

"Baba took care of everything the banner, the script and even my costumes all I did was to perform; I wasn't allowed to answer phone calls directly. After he passed away I never felt up to facing the camera again, I missed him too much on the sets. He was my guru, my strength and my source of inspiration, " she states emotionally.

Since then she leads a simple, reclusive life in suburban Bandra, and she is often spotted in the market buying fresh-water fish or some furnishings for the bungalow. Sans pretense, sans scandal, she leads a peaceful life, sans any regrets in life. She is philosophical about daughter Pratibha's none-too scintillating stint in films, "That was her destiny and this was mine. Otherwise tell me how did the little girl from Diocesan Girls High School, Kolkata, land up here in films?" she asks pertinently.