Waheeda Rehman
Gossip abounds on the private life of Hindi's cinema's top heroines but veteran actress Waheeda Rehman zealously guards her private life and refuses to talk about her reported relationship with late film director Guru Dutt.
"I don't want to get into it. My private life should remain private. It is nobody's business. I know we are public figures, so when I fight with my husband do you want to know about it?" Rehman retorted to a query about her reported relationship with Guru Dutt with whom she has worked in a number of hit films.
The actress was speaking at the launch of “Conversations with Waheeda Rehman”, a book written by Nasreen Munni Kabir, at a function in Mumbai on Saturday night.
The author of the book came to Rehman's rescue saying, "We should respect the actor's personal life and not cross the line. She is loved by all of us (for her work) and not (relationship)."
Rehman had worked with Dutt in films like “CID”, “Pyaasa”, “Chaudhvin Ka Chand”, “Kagaz Ke Phool”, “Saheb Biwi Aur Ghulam” and others.
Talking about Dutt's death in 1964, Rehman says, "Nobody knows. I don't think he was in depression after the failure of' 'Kagaz Ke Phool' as 'Chaudhvin Ka Chand' did quite well."
“Conversations with Waheeda Rehman” includes insights into her childhood, her years with Guru Dutt, her experience of working with him as also with directors like Satyajit Ray (in whose film "Abhjaan" she acted) and Vijay Anand.
Rehman said she was clear on two things when she started her film career- one that she would not wear a bikini and other that she would not change her name as was the trend at that point of a time.
Though some actresses of her time featured in films wearing a bikini, she felt she did not have the figure to carry it well.
According to the actress, of all the roles she portrayed on the big screen, the character of Rosie from the film "Guide" appealed to her greatly.
“I think I was destined to play Rosie as both Vijay Anand and Satyajit Ray were contemplating to make a film like this. But it was Vijay who made it. I got the chance to dance as no one thought I could do it. The role was different as most of them were not ready to play the role of a married woman who lives with another man as she is abandoned by her husband," Rehman said.
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