Shashikala

Shashikala
Born Shashikala Jawalkar
1933 (age 81–82)
Solapur, Maharashtra, India
Years active 1944–present
Spouse(s) Om Prakash Saigal

Shashikala Om Prakash Saigal (née: Shashikala Jawalkar; Marathi: शशिकला; born 1933), better known by her first name, is an Indian film and television actress, who has played supporting roles in over 100 Bollywood films.

Early years

Shashikala was born as one of six siblings in Solapur, Maharashtra in a well-to-do Marathi-speaking Jawalkar family. By age 5, she had already been dancing, singing, and acting on stage in many towns in Solapur district.

When Shashikala was in her pre-teens, through ill luck, her father became bankrupt, and he brought his family to Bombay (now Mumbai) where they thought that Shashikala, the best-looking and most-talented among his children, could find work in movies. For some time, the family lived with friends and barely survived, while Shashikala wandered from one studio to another looking for work. She earned in bits and pieces till she met Noor Jehan, the reigning screen queen.

Noor Jehan's husband, Shaukat, was making a movie Zeenat then, and included Shashikala in a qawwali scene. She received 25 rupees for her role. She struggled on and got small roles in movies made by P. N. Arora, Amiya Chakravarti, and a few other producers. She got roles in V. Shantaram's Teen Batti Char Raasta (1953) and a few other movies.

While in her early twenties, Shashikala met and married Om Prakash Saigal, who belonged to the Kundan Lal Saigal family, and had two daughters.[1]

Acclaimed supporting roles

In 1959 she appeared in Bimal Roy's Sujata. In Tarachand Barjatya's Arati (1962), starring Meena Kumari, Ashok Kumar, and Pradeep Kumar, Shashikala portrayed a negative role, eventually winning a Filmfare Award. Soon after, offers began to pour in to her for supporting roles. She appeared in Jangalee, Anupama, Phool Aur Patthar, Ayi Milan Ki Bela, Gumrah, Waqt, and Khubsoorat.

Meena Kumari, Padmini, Nutan, Sharmila Tagore, Mala Sinha, and Waheeda Rehman have been among the leading actresses with whom Shashikala performed in supporting roles. While the female lead costars in the involved movies usually played roles of good-natured, modest, or pious women, Shashikala usually played either flighty and feisty bubbly women or vamps who plotted the downfall of others. Later in her acting career, she would typically play the role of a sister or mother-in-law. She performed in supporting roles in over 100 movies.

Asha Bhosle was often the playback singer for Shashikala in her earlier career. "Sheeshe Se Pee" and "Bheegi Bheegi Faza" "Jindagime pyar karna sikhle" are three popular songs which Bhosle had sung for Shashikala.

Recent acting roles

In the past ten years, Shashikala has performed in a few television serials, including Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai for Sony, Apnaapan for Zee TV,Dil Deke Dekho for Star Plus and Son Pari for Star Plus. She has also had successful roles in Mother ‘98, Pardesi Babu, Baadshah, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Chori Chori.

Awards

Shashikala has received eight nominations for the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award and won the award twice:

Filmography

References

  1. ↑ Vimla Patil (March 7, 1999). "Peace that surpasseth understanding". The Tribune. p. Sunday Reading.
  2. ↑ 27th Annual BFJA Awards at the Wayback Machine (archived February 21, 2008)
    33rd Annual BFJA Awards at the Wayback Machine (archived February 21, 2008)
  3. ↑ "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2009)". Ministry of Home Affairs.
  4. ↑ "Turn it up, folks - DNA". Dnaindia.com. 2009-04-07. Retrieved 2012-07-16.

External links