Sadhana Shivdasani

For other uses, see Sadhana (disambiguation).
Sadhana

Signed photo of Sadhana
Born Sadhana Shivdasani
(1941-09-02)2 September 1941
Karachi, Sindh, British India
(now in Pakistan)
Died 25 December 2015(2015-12-25) (aged 74)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Residence Santacruz, Mumbai, India
Nationality Indian
Alma mater Jai Hind College
Occupation Actress
Years active 1958–1978
Spouse(s) R. K. Nayyar (1966–d.1995)
Relatives Hari Shivdasani (uncle)
Babita Kapoor (cousin)

Sadhana Shivdasani (2 September 1941[1] – 25 December 2015), better known mononymously as Sadhana, was an Indian actress who was one of the top actresses in the 1960s and the early-1970s, a period regarded as Bollywood's "golden era".[2][3]

Shivdasani appeared in a Sindhi language film Abaana and entered Hindi film industry through 1960's romantic film Love in Simla. Her fringe haircut became popular during the 1960s and came to be known as "Sadhana cut".[4][5]

She became famous with her three suspense thriller films: Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Mera Saaya (1966) and Anita (1967), all directed by Raj Khosla. She was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for films Woh Kaun Thi? and Waqt in 1965 and 1966 respectively. She took retirement from the film industry in mid 1970s before which she also directed and co-produced few films.

Early life

Born in a Sindhi family[6] in Karachi, British India on 2 September 1941, Sadhana was named after her father's favorite actress-dancer Sadhana Bose. Her father was the brother of actor Hari Shivdasani, father of actress Babita.

Rare hair style of Sadhana

The family migrated from Karachi during the post-Partition riots and settled in Mumbai. Her mother home-schooled her until she was 8 years old after which she studied at Auxilium Convent, Wadala and Jai Hind College.[7]

Career

Beginning

Sadhana aspired to be an actress since childhood. Her father helped her enter films. In 1955 she played a chorus girl in the song "Mur Mur Ke Na Dekh Mur Mur Ke" in Raj Kapoor's Shree 420.[8][9] When she was 15 years old, she was approached by some producers who had seen her act in a college play. They cast her in India's first Sindhi film titled Abaana (1958), where she played the role of Sheila Ramani's younger sister.[8]

A photograph of her publicizing the film appeared in a movie magazine Screen. It was then that Sashadhar Mukherjee, one of Hindi cinema's producers at that time, noticed her. She joined Mukherjee's acting school along with her debutant co-star Joy Mukherjee, Sashadhar’s son. R. K. Nayyar, who had previously worked as assistant director on few films, directed this film. He also created her trademark look, called Sadhana cut, inspired from British actress Audrey Hepburn.[8][10] The Filmalaya Production banner thus introduced Joy, Sadhana and her iconic hairstyle in their 1960 romantic film Love in Simla. The film was declared a hit at the box office and was listed in the top 10 films of 1960.[11] During this period she would again work under the same banner opposite Joy in Ek Musafir Ek Haseena.[12]

Breakthrough

Alongside Love in Simla, Sadhana was signed by acclaimed director Bimal Roy for his satirical film on Indian democracy, Parakh. She portrayed a simple village girl in this multi-award-winning film. In 1961's other hit[13] Hum Dono, she played the love interest of Dev Anand. This black-and-white film was colourized and re-released in 2011. Rediff.com in the film's review writes about Sadhana; "Her eyes, expressive and captivating, do most of the work, while she balances out her submissiveness with a firm tongue."[14] The duet "Abhi Na Jaao Chhodkar" from the film Hum Dono is regarded as "the most romantic song" by actor Shah Rukh Khan[15] and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.[16] Author Amit Chaudhuri in an essay comparing cultures says that Sadhana's curious expressions in the song denote listener's peculiar ecstasy while in other cinemas it would mean sex or love.[17] In 1962, she was again paired with Dev Anand in Asli-Naqli by director Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The same year saw director-screenwriter Raj Khosla cast her opposite Joy in Ek Musafir Ek Hasina. Khosla would again work with Sadhana to make a suspense thriller trilogy.[18]

In 1963, Sadhana played her first role in a technicolour film Mere Mehboob directed by H. S. Rawail. The film was the "blockbuster" of 1963[19] and ranked in the top 5 films of the 1960s.[20]

In 1964, she played a double role in the first of the suspense-thriller trilogy, Woh Kaun Thi? This white-sari-clad performance opposite Manoj Kumar earned her first Filmfare nomination as Best Actress. Through this role she got to be part of Lata Mangeshkar – Madan Mohan’s songs "Naina Barse" and "Lag Ja Gale". Rediff.com called her a show-stopper "with an intriguing Mona Lisa-like smile".[21] The film was a box office "Hit".[22] Raj Khosla cast her in two more successful mystery films, Mera Saaya (1966) and Anita (1967) thus making her famous as the "Mystery girl".[18] Mera Saaya, a box office "Super Hit"[23] courtroom drama film again saw her playing a double role, now opposite Sunil Dutt. The song "Jhumka Gira Re" sung by Asha Bhosle and composed by Madan Mohan saw Sadhana perform dance steps choreographed by Saroj Khan. Khan was then an assistant to dance director B. Sohanlal. The song became so popular that excited audience in cinema halls used to throw coins at the screen,[24] and is one of the most requested songs on radio.[25]

Sadhana got her second Filmfare nomination as Best Actress for the role of Meena in Yash Chopra's directorial saga Waqt (1965). She stood out in Bollywood’s first ever ensemble cast by bringing along the fashion of tight chudidar-kurtas.[8][26] The film proved to be 1965's "blockbuster hit".[27] Her other notable works in the 1960s include performances in Manmauji (1962), Rajkumar (1964), Dulha Dulhan (1964), Gaban (1966) and Budtameez (1966).

Later work

Sadhana (first from right) with Helen, Waheeda Rehman and Nanda in 2010
Sadhana in early part of career

Sadhana had health issues due to her thyroid, which she got treated in Boston.[8] After returning from the USA, she starred in the successful movies Intaquam (1969), Ek Phool Do Mali (1969), Aap Aye Bahaar Ayee (1971), Dil Daulat Duniya (1972), Geeta Mera Naam (1974).[28]

In Intaquam she played the role of a woman who revengefully allures the son of her own boss who cheated her to be put behind the bars for a crime she did not commit.[29] In 1974 her directorial venture Geeta Mera Naam released. Produced by her husband, the film had herself playing the lead actress along with Sunil Dutt and Feroz Khan.[30] It was also Saroj Khan's first film as an independent dance director.[31] A non-lexical vocable from the song "Mujhe Maar Daalo" of this film also appears in the song "People" which features in American rapper J Dilla's album Donuts (2006).[32]

After that, she retired from acting as she did not want to be cast as a side-actress or do character roles.[8] Later, she and her husband formed a production company. She also directed a movie named 'Pati Parmeshwar' starring Dimple Kapadia in 1989.[30]

Personal life

Sadhana married her Love in Simla director Ram Krishna Nayyar on 7 March 1966.[24] Their love blossomed on the film set. But as she was very young then, her parents opposed it. They were married for nearly thirty years, until his death in 1995 from asthma. The couple had no children.

She suffered from eye problems due to hyperthyroidism. After her retirement from acting, she refused to be photographed.[10] Living in Santacruz, Mumbai, she rented an apartment building owned by singer Asha Bhosle.[33] In 2013, she stated that she had not kept touch with her cousin Babita but had done so with Asha Parekh, Waheeda Rehman, Nanda (who died in 2014), and Helen Jairag Richardson.[34]

Fashion icon

Sadhana introduced the fringe hairstlye in Indian film industry in her first film Love in Simla. R.K. Nayyar, director of the film and her future husband, suggested the fringe style in order to make her forehead look narrower. Sadhana says, "They tried to stick a strip near the hair-line, but it didn’t work out."[7] Nayyar then suggested she go for the fringe style as was then sported by the Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn.[8][10][30] The fringe soon became popular and a fashion fad in the 1960s.[1][35]

The style was copied by girls in India and is still known by the same name.[36] The look suited the role of naughty, pretty, glamourous Sonia that she played. But when Sadhana went on the shoot for Bimal Roy's Parakh, Roy was disappointed to see her modern look. She had to stick her fringe back in order to match the simple village girl she played here.[7] In 1963, when she signed to play a role of simple Muslim girl from Aligarh in Mere Mehboob, Sadhana undid her famous "Sadhana cut" to fit the bill. She had centre-parted her hair and wore it in a plait; which was immediately discarded by the director H.S. Rawail. He said that the audience wanted to see her signature "Sadhana cut" and demanded it.[6] Recently, the Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone sported the same fringe in her films Om Shanti Om (2007) and Chandni Chowk To China (2009).[37]

Sadhana is also credited for bringing into fashion tight chudidar-kurta.[6][35] She went with this concept of gracefully changing the traditional loose salwar kameez to her director Yash Chopra for 1965's film Waqt. Chopra felt insecure and thought that it would not be accepted. But Sadhana with the help of her fashion designer Bhanu Athaiya showed him a sample, which he liked.[7] The trend lasted well in the 1970s and can be seen to be adopted by many actresses.[38]

In a song sequence of "Phir Milenge Chalte Chalte" for Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), actress Bipasha Basu dressed herself in a white chudidar-kurta and also frolicked with the famous fringe as a tribute to Sadhana.[39]

In 2014, Sadhana made a rare public appearance walking the ramp in a pink sari at a fashion show to support the cause for cancer and AIDS patients. She was escorted by her relative actor Ranbir Kapoor.[40]

Awards

Despite the fact that many of Shivdasani's films fared very well at the box office, she did not receive any of the leading awards of the film industry. She was nominated for the Filmfare Award in Best Actress category for her roles in Woh Kaun Thi? and Waqt.

For her contribution to film, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the IIFA in 2002.[41][42]

Death

During her later years, Sadhana was involved in court cases and suffering from illness.[43]

In her last screen release HUM DONO in Color. Still from the same movie's famous song " Mein Zindagi ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya " with The Legendary Actor and Style Icon of Film Industry Mr. Evergreen Dev Anand

She had undergone an emergency surgery due to a bleeding oral lesion in December 2014 at the K J Somaiya Medical College.[44][45]

Sadhana died on 25 December 2015 in Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai after being hospitalised with high fever.[2] Although the illness she briefly suffered from was officially undisclosed,[46] a family friend confirmed Sadhana had cancer.[47][48]

Filmography

Year Movie Role Note
1955 Shree 420[8] Chorus girl Cameo role in the song "Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh"
1958 Abana[8] First Sindhi film
1960 Love in Simla[8] Sonia
1960 Parakh[8] Seema
1961 Hum Dono[8] Mita
1962 Prem Patra[8] Kavita Kapoor
1962 Man-Mauji[49] Rani
1962 Ek Musafir Ek Hasina[8] Asha
1962 Asli-Naqli[49] Renu
1963 Mere Mehboob[8] Husna Banu Changezi
1964 Woh Kaun Thi?[8] Sandhya / Seema (Double Role) Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1964 Rajkumar[8] Princess Sangeeta
1964 Picnic Not released[50]
1964 Dulha Dulhan[49] Rekha / Chanda
1965 Waqt[8] Meena Mittal Nominated: Filmfare Award for Best Actress
1965 Arzoo[8] Usha
1966 Mera Saaya[8] Geeta / Nisha (Raina) (Double Role)
1966 Gaban[49] Jalpa
1966 Budtameez[49] Shanta
1967 Anita[8] Anita
1969 Sachaai Shobha Dayal
1969 Intaquam[8] Reeta Mehra
1969 Ek Phool Do Mali[8] Somna
1970 Ishq Par Zor Nahin[51] Sushma Rai
1971 Aap Aye Bahaar Ayee[49] Neena Bakshi
1972 Dil Daulat Duniya[49] Roopa
1973 Hum Sab Chor Hain
1972 Geeta Mera Naam[8] Kavita / Neeta / Geeta (Double Role) also directed
1974 Chhote Sarkar[52]
1974 Vandana[53]
1977 Amaanat[54] Suchitra
1981 Mehfil[51] Shalini / Ratnabai (Double Role) Delayed Release
1994 Ulfat Ki Nayee Manzeelein[55] Delayed release

References

  1. 1 2 Roshmila Bhattacharya (28 August 2011). "Sadhana's fringe benefits from Audrey Hepburn". Mumbai: Hindustan Times. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Bollywood, kin, bid adieu to Sadhana". The Hindu. 27 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Sadhana Shivdasani Cremated, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh Bid Farewell". NDTV. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "Sadhana: The actor with the timeless elegance, the fringe and that outfit". The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Sadhana will always be remembered for her trendsetting 'Sadhana cut' hairstyle, say fans". IBNLive. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Punita Bhatt (July 1991). "The Sadhana Mystique". Filmfare. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Chandrika Bhattacharya (1990). "Interview in Movie Magazine". Movie Magazine. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Dinesh Raheja. "Sadhana's Song". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "Sadhana". Upperstall. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 Rajiv Vijayakar (4 March 2011). "That Iconic Touch". Mumbai: Indian Express. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  11. ↑ "Box Office 1960". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  12. ↑ Dinesh Raheja. "Love in Simla: Grin fairytale". Rediff.com. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  13. ↑ "Box Office 1961". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  14. ↑ Raja Sen (4 February 2011). "Hum Dono review: absolute must-watch". Mumbai: Rediff.com. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  15. ↑ "'Abhi na jao chhod kar...’". The Tribune. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  16. ↑ "Sadhana, Hindi film style icon of 1960s, is no more". The Hindu. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  17. ↑ Chaudhuri, Amit (2014). Telling Tales: Selected Writing, 1993-2013. UK: Penguin UK. ISBN 9789351185963.
  18. 1 2 "Sadhana Shivdasani, Bollywood's Mystery Girl and Hasina". NDTV. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  19. ↑ "Box Office 1963". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  20. ↑ "Top Earners 1960–1969". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  21. ↑ Dinesh Raheja (28 February 2003). "The imaginative mystery of Woh Kaun Thi". Rediff.com. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  22. ↑ "Box Office 1964". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  23. ↑ "Box Office 1964". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 6 Feb 2012.
  24. 1 2 Dinesh Raheja. "Mera Saaya: A Compelling Conundrum". Rediff.com. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  25. ↑ "Abhi Na Jao Chhod Ke, Ki Dil Abhi Bhara Nahin...". DNA India. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  26. ↑ Dinesh Raheja. "Waqt: Where time stands still". rediff.com. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  27. ↑ "Box Office 1965". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  28. ↑ Sharma, Isha (25 December 2015). "9 Facts About Bollywood's Most Beloved Actress Sadhana, Who Passed Away Today". India Times. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  29. ↑ "Box Office 1969". Boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 6 Feb 2012.
  30. 1 2 3 Das Gupta, Ranjan (5 September 2008). "Sadhna worked wonders". The Hindu (Chennai, India). Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  31. ↑ Sarkar, Neeti (28 August 2010). "Step right up with Saroj". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  32. ↑ Jordan Ferguson (2014). J Dilla's Donuts. USA: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 9781623563608.
  33. ↑ Deeptiman Tiwary (13 August 2012). "Builder threatened to kill me: Sadhana". Times of India. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  34. ↑ "I don't acknowledge Babita: Sadhana". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  35. 1 2 Stella Bruzzi, Pamela Church Gibson (2000). Fashion cultures: Theories, explorations, and analysis. Routledge. p. 188. ISBN 0-415-20685-5.
  36. ↑ Rachel Dwyer, Divia Patel (2002). Cinema India: the visual culture of Hindi film. Reaktion Books. p. 97.
  37. ↑ Priscilla Corner (4 April 2011). "Mirror Mirror". The Telegraph India. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  38. ↑ Gulzar, Govind Nihalani, Saibal Chatterjee (2003). Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema. Popular Prakashan. p. 523. ISBN 81-7991-066-0.
  39. ↑ Subhash K. Jha (15 January 2009). "I'm not going to risk my life for any film". Mumbai: Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  40. ↑ "Veteran actress Sadhana walks the ramp with Ranbir Kapoor". Indian Express. 11 May 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  41. ↑ "Showcase: IIFA 2002 Malaysia". IIFA. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
  42. ↑ "Awards of the International Indian Film Academy (2002)". IMDB. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  43. ↑ Sahadevan, Sonup (26 December 2015). "Ailing Sadhana pleaded for help but no one from the film industry came forward: Tabassum". The Indian Express. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  44. ↑ Pandit, Sadaguru (13 December 2014). "Veteran actress Sadhana on the mend after emergency surgery". Mid Day. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  45. ↑ "Yesteryear actress Sadhana undergoes a major surgery". Deccan Chronicle. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  46. ↑ "Sadhana, Hindi film style icon of 1960s, is no more". The Hindu. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  47. ↑ "Bollywood mourns veteran actor Sadhana’s death". Hindustan Times. 25 December 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  48. ↑ Nijhara, Apoorva (25 December 2015). "RIP Sadhana: Lag Jaa Gale to Jhumka Gira Re, remembering the actor through her songs". India Today. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  49. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Part of several evergreen films, Sadhana no more". Deccan Herald. 26 December 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  50. ↑ Sathya Saran, Abrar Alvi (2008). Ten Years with Guru Dutt: Abrar Alvi's Journey. Penguin Books India. p. 201. ISBN 9780670082216.
  51. 1 2 Chakravorty, Vinayak (26 December 2015). "Bollywood style icon Sadhana passes away". India Today. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  52. ↑ "Sadhana: You can neither forget nor ignore that hairstyle". Hindustan Times. 25 December 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  53. ↑ Yogesh Pawar (25 December 2015). "Remembering Sadhana: The actress who gave India two classic fashion trends". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  54. ↑ "Remembering Sadhana: A playlist of her most popular songs". Hindustan Times. 25 December 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  55. ↑ "Yesteryear actor and style icon Sadhana passes away at the age of 74". Firstpost. 25 December 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.

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