23 Facts About Waheeda Rehman

1.

Waheeda Rehman was born on 3 February 1938 and is an Indian actress and dancer.

2.

Waheeda Rehman was honoured with the Padma Shri by Government of India in 1972, later receiving the Padma Bhushan in 2011.

3.

Waheeda Rehman has received significant media coverage across her film career.

4.

Waheeda Rehman made her acting debut with the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi, and rose to prominence with her collaborations with filmmaker Guru Dutt: the romantic dramas Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, the musical romance Chaudhvin Ka Chand and the drama Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam.

5.

Waheeda Rehman had her breakthrough with the romantic drama Guide, for which she received widespread critical acclaim and received the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

6.

Waheeda Rehman won the award again for her performance in the romantic thriller Neel Kamal, and additionally earned nominations for her roles in the comedy Ram Aur Shyam and the drama Khamoshi.

7.

Waheeda Rehman is an advocate for education and is an ambassador for Rang De, an organisation combating poverty in India.

8.

Waheeda Rehman was born on 3 February 1938 to a Deccani Muslim family in Chengalpet of present-day Tamil Nadu, India.

9.

Waheeda Rehman's father was Mohammed Abdur Rehman and her mother was Mumtaz Begum, and she was the youngest out of 4 daughters.

10.

Waheeda Rehman studied in St Joseph's Convent in Visakhapatnam when her father was posted there in the then-Madras Presidency.

11.

Waheeda 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.

12.

Waheeda Rehman's first performance on stage as a dancer in earlier days was at Brahmapur's Ganjam Kala Parishad organised by her uncle Dr Ferose Ali who was a famous doctor and social activist in Brahmapur.

13.

Waheeda Rehman made her film debut with the 1955 Telugu films Rojulu Maraayi and Jayasimha.

14.

Waheeda Rehman's performances caught the eye of Hindi filmmaker Guru Dutt, whom Waheeda Rehman considered her mentor.

15.

Waheeda Rehman's peak continued when she was paired with other well-established superstars, namely Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Rajesh Khanna.

16.

Waheeda Rehman starred as Rosie, a rebellious, strong-willed wife of an unfaithful archaeologist.

17.

Waheeda Rehman stated that the role proved difficult for her, particularly because it broke several film stereotypes at the time.

18.

Guide was a major commercial success, emerging as the fifth-highest grossing Hindi film of 1965, and it opened to widespread critical acclaim, with Waheeda Rehman's performance receiving particular praise.

19.

Waheeda Rehman would be an unusual Hindi film heroine even today.

20.

For headlining the film Reshma Aur Shera, Waheeda Rehman won the National Film Award for Best Actress, which is India's equivalent to the Academy Award for Best Actress.

21.

Waheeda Rehman began experimenting with roles at this stage of career.

22.

Waheeda Rehman accepted the offer to play a mother to Jaya Bhaduri in Phagun.

23.

Waheeda Rehman has 2 children: Sohail Rekhi and Kashvi Rekhi, both of them are writers.