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Pyaasa to Guide – Tracing Waheeda Rehman’s iconic first decade as an actor that has legendary written all over it

Waheeda Rehman, who debuted in Hindi films in 1956, went on to star in 6 iconic movies just in the first decade. We take a look at them on her birthday today...

Shubham Kulkarni

Feb 03, 2024

Stills From Pyaasa, Guide, and Kaagaz Ke Phool

Few actors across the world have careers where they manage to do some iconic movies in the very first decade after they make their debut. There has to be immense talent, ample chances, and a whole lot of luck to support the trajectory. The legendary Waheeda Rehman is one such actor who had all three aligned, and she managed to give not one or two but 6 iconic movies to Hindi cinema in just the first 10 years of her acting career. She wasn’t even in her 30s at the time. The list also includes the ever-popular film, Guide.

Waheeda Rehman made her movie debut at the age of 16 with the Telugu movie Rojulu Marayi in 1955. She was only 17 years old when CID, a Hindi film, launched her as a big-screen heroine. There was no looking back for the queen, who then chose roles that weren’t that of a quintessential damsel in distress heroine but strong enough to rule the movie she was in.

So today, as the reigning queen of Bollywood turns 86, let us take a look back at the first 10 years of the actor, which was enough to tell what was to come. With a filmography of over 90 movies and many blockbusters, here’s a list to marvel at the talent that took over the big screen.

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CID (1956)

Available On: SonyLIV

Directed by Raj Khosla and produced by Guru Dutt, this film is where the star, Waheeda Rehman, was born. Her screen presence was such that even though there was a woman who played a supporting role alongside the stellar Dev Anand, she still managed to grab the spotlight from the superstar and make herself noticed. This drama, in which Dev Anand is seen investigating a murder, gave Hindi cinema one of its most potent leading ladies.

Pyaasa (1957)

Available On: Amazon Prime Video

Guru Dutt saw a star and made sure the world knew its worth. The leading man in Pyaasa, and also the director, gave two brilliant female actors a stage to shine while giving one of the most impeccable performances Hindi cinema has ever seen. If you are a Hindi cinema fan, Pyaasa has to be among your top 5 favourite films. In the second Hindi film of her career and her third year as an actor, Rehman played a sex worker, Gulabo, who helps a poet publish his poetry. At the age of 18, she showed a range that even some seasoned actors cannot and gave a career-defining performance.

Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959)

Available On: Amazon Prime Video

In a way, Guru Dutt’s influence on Waheeda Rehman’s career is massive. Another iconic movie way ahead of its time, Kaagaz Ke Phool, looked at the fickle nature of the movie business through the eyes of an ill-fated female actor, Shanti. Waheeda Rehman, who was reuniting with her Pyaasa co-star and director, made sure that she left no room for anyone to compare her performance here to Pyaasa and gave us another masterpiece that is relevant even today. It’s been over 60 years since the release of the film, but it still stands the test of time.

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Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960)

Available On: Amazon Prime Video

An achingly beautiful love triangle even before love triangles were a genre, Chaudhvin Ka Chand was where the world realised the bankable star Waheeda Rehman could be. Even with Guru Dutt and Rehman Khan falling in love with her as the crux of the movie, it was Waheeda as Jameela who stole the show. The title track became synonymous with the star and is still one of the top songs when someone talks about her. The movie, directed by Mohammed Sadiq, was a super hit and went on to be one of the top-grossing movies of the year.

Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)

Available On: YouTube

It doesn’t happen often that an actor takes up the job of playing a supporting role in a movie and becomes the highlight of it. Produced by Guru Dutt and directed by Abrar Alvi, Waheeda Rehman played Jaba in Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam, a lonely woman who is neglected by her husband. She longs for love but ends up with a fate that she doesn’t deserve. Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam was a movie that was too ambitious for its time but was still accepted, and it tells a whole lot about the audience back then.

Guide (1965)

Available On: NA

No discussion about Hindi cinema can wrap up without someone mentioning one of the most iconic movies of all times past, present, and to come, Guide. Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman gave the industry and cinema at large a movie that is a complete meal for the heart and brain. Adapted from RK Narayan’s book, director Vijay Anand's Guide is the story of the liberation of a woman stuck in a bad marriage with a wealthy archaeologist. A tourist guide she meets reignites the fire in her, and she dances with joy. It is an achingly beautiful movie that deserves to be seen by everyone.

We salute the artist who has achieved a dream many of us cannot even think of. Waheeda Rehman is a legend in all possible ways. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more content like this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

Also Read: Waheeda Rehman to be bestowed with Dadasaheb Phalke award - Details

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