Waheeda Rehman tells K Bhardwaj why it was a ‘tough job’ to satisfy Guru Dutt while Satyajit Ray was the easiest director to work with
While the water was dripping from the tent, the audience remained spellbound. Nobody was minding getting drenched in the company of Waheeda Rehman. The nostalgia wafted through the Jaipur literature Festival when Rehman came on stage to discuss her life and work as her popular numbers echoed in background. Hundreds of people squeezed in a small tent conveniently to honour the actress who shared several anecdotes in an hour-long chat.
Waheeda recalled how she worked on her own terms and conditions since beginning. When Guru Dutt and Raj Khosla decided to cast her in CID, they wanted her to change her name. But Waheeda rejected the demand. “I was a ziddi girl. I was young but knew what I wanted.
They quoted examples of Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, Meena Kumari and others who had changed their names. It was like a fashion then. They said ‘Waheeda Rehman’ was not sexy. But I was adamant since the name was given by my parents and I love it. Guru Dutt and Raj Khosla were shocked that I had my own expectations even before working with them. They didn’t utter a word for three days but finally agreed to retain my original name,” she said.
Guide was made 50 years ago but it is one of the most progressive films of Indian cinema. All the three central characters, Marco, Raju and Rosie, challenged the conventional norms. They were selfish, followed their hearts and didn’t let anybody bully them. “I was thrilled to meet Dev Anand on the sets of CID. He asked me to call him Dev, not Dev sahab. I felt very uncomfortable as he was a senior and popular actor. But then he would never listen if I would add sahab to his name,” she shared.
Waheeda is known for her iconic movies as well as her rapport with legendary actors and film-maker. Her association with Guru Dutt, also her mentor, has been remarkable. However, Waheeda recalled how difficult it was to work with Dutt as he would never be satisfied. “He would take multiple shots of a single scene. He was also not content with his own scenes.
He would often say, ‘Aur ho jaaye…’ There were instances when he took over 50 shots of a single scene. During Pyaasa, there was a sequence of Mala Sinha and Guru Dutt. I was not there on the sets since I was not there in that scene. But I got a call from a production guy who asked me to come immediately and see how senior actors also give re-takes. The guy thought it might boost my morale. I reached on the set and we waited for hours for that particular shot. It took 76 takes to shoot that scene,” she said.
Waheeda was cast as Gulabi in Satyajit Ray’s Bengali filmAbhijan in 1962. She shared, “Satyajit Ray was a clear-headed filmmaker. He would never seek several shots and would often stop you if you do not act according to his expectations. He used to tell us that he knew what he wanted and how much he wanted. He used to edit his movies himself so he had clear vision of the final output.”
On how did she manage to create her own style, she said, “It was my personality. I have always been a low-key person. I cannot overact. I had no formal training in acting so I was being natural. I used to visualise myself in the character.”
The show must go on
Rains played a spoilsport on the second day of the Jaipur literature Festival, giving tough time to both visitors and organisers. However, the book lovers took it as a regular business while holding umbrellas and wearing raincoats throughout the day. The shift in venues, cancellation of sessions and a steady showers created confusion early in the day. The attendance slipped naturally but multiple venues still ran housefull shows. A session with lauren Child, which was supposed to take place early in the day, had to be cancelled while other sessions were cut short to half an hour. “It showered last year as well and given the climactic conditions, rains were expected. However, it doesn't deter us from attending interesting sessions,” said Rohan Bansal, who has come from Delhi for the five-day festival.