In recent times I had received the
invitation to be a part of a vibrant program Penguin Books India invites you at
the launch of “Conversations with Waheeda Rehman” with Nasreen Munni Kabir
where I got the opportunity to interact and converse with the women known for
her natural talent and haunting beauty none other than actress Waheeda Rehman.
One of the first thing that came in my
mind when I saw Waheeda Ji in the evening I remembered her toe tapping number
so beautifully picturized on her “Rangeela
Re Tere Rang Mein Yun Ranga Hai Mera Mann . . . Chhaliya Re Na Bujhe Hai Kisi
Jal Se Yeh Jalan . . . Rangeela Re” from the 1970 release “Prem Pujari”.
The song was shot in the exotic
location of Switzerland in Hotel Grimsel Hospiz surrounded by mountain peaks
just spectacular giving the aristocratic feel. Waheeda Ji is distinctly seen
intoxicated, lost in dancing and shaking off her whole body in this lovely
number at the party. Her moves provokes actor Dev Anand so much that he throws
glass of wine as he could never believe her lover would drink and dance openly
in the public.
Produced, Directed and Written by Dev
Anand for Navketan Films. Awesome lyrics by Neeraj coupled with melodious
compositions by Late S.D. Burman and voice of none other than the “Melody
Queen” Lata Mangeshkar.
From the devastating loss of her
parents when she was young to making a life in Cinema on her own terms the
odyssey of Waheeda Rehman has indeed been a voyage of discovery. Even at the
ripe age of 76 septuagenarian and Indian Cinema’s most beautiful women actress
Waheeda Rehman is still seen to keep herself busy and occupied.
In this engaging book of conversations with Nasreen Munni Kabir,
Waheeda Rehman proves to be a lively raconteur, speaking about her life and
work with refreshing honesty, humour and insight: from the devastating loss of
her parents when she was young to making a life in cinema on her own terms,
from insightful accounts of working with extraordinary film practitioners like
Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Vijay Anand to
her friendship witstars like Nargis and Nanda.
A slice of cinema
history told through compelling anecdotes and astute observations,
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman provides a rare view of a much-adored and
award-winning actress of Indian cinema.
Renowned for her natural talent and
beauty, Waheeda Rehman’s career spans an astonishing array of key films in
Indian cinema, including Pyaasa, Abhijan, Mujhe Jeene Do, Guide, Teesri Kasam
and Rang De Basanti.
As soon as I got the opportunity to
interact with Waheeda Ji I could not resist my temptation from asking her:
Q:
Had you not been an actress which other
profession you would have chosen and why?
A: (smiles) Had I not been an actress I
wished to become a Doctor. While we were young, medicine was considered to be
one of the most respectable profession for Women. I always wanted to work, and
I even told my father I wished to become a doctor. I am still fascinated by
medicine and the profession would have given me the opportunity to meet and
treat people with all my love and faith.
Now whether Waheeda Ji became an
actress or Doctor is secondary but one thing Waheeda Ji was very sure off was
that all the four sisters would do well in life. She even told her father:
“Daddy, don’t worry, one day my photograph will appear in the papers. I don’t
know why, but it will.” She had also told him I would own a farm and, many
years later, she did. Rightly said, “Things do work when we listen to our inner
voice” and Waheeda Ji’s voice of confidence was no exception.
Nasreen Munni Kabir’s ‘Conversations
with Waheeda Rehman’ abounds in anecdotes from the iconic life of one of Indian
cinema’s most beautiful women actors. Penguin presents the evocative
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman By Nasreen Munni Kabir.
The
Author: Nasreen Munni
Kabir is a reputed documentary film-maker and writer on films. Based in London,
she has made several programmes on Hindi cinema for Channel 4 TV, UK, including
the forty-six-part series Movie Mahal and The Inner/Outer World of Shah Rukh
Khan. Her several books are, among others, Guru Dutt: A Life in Cinema, Talking
Films and Talking Songs with Javed Akhtar, A.R. Rahman: The Spirit of Music,
Lata Mangeshkar: In Her Own Voice and, most recently, In the Company of a Poet,
a book of conversations with Gulzar.
Author : Nasreen Munni Kabir
Publisher : Penguin Viking
Pages : 256
Price : Rs 499 / -
ISBN : 9780670086924
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