Mala Sinha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mala Sinha
Mala Sinha in 2013
Born	Alda Sinha (1936-11-11) 11 November 1936 (age 88) Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1946–2000
Works	Full list
Spouse(s)	Chidambaram Prasad Lohani ​ ​ (m. 1966; died 2024)​
Children	Pratibha Sinha

Mala Sinha (born Alda Sinha; 11 November 1936) is a famous former Indian actress. She mostly worked in Hindi and Bengali movies. She started her acting journey in regional films. Later, she became a top leading actress in Hindi Cinema during the 1960s and early 1970s. People called her the "daring diva" and "torch bearer of women's cinema." This was because she played strong female characters and took on unusual roles. These roles were often ahead of their time. Mala Sinha has won many awards, including the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Over four decades, Mala Sinha became very well-known. Some of her famous films include Guru Dutt's Pyaasa (1957) and Yash Chopra's Dhool Ka Phool (1959). She starred in over a hundred films. These include Phir Subah Hogi (1958), Hariyali Aur Rasta (1962), and Anpadh (1962). Other hits were Dil Tera Deewana (1962), Gumrah (1963), and Bahurani (1963). She also starred in Himalay Ki God Mein (1965), Aasra (1966), and Ankhen (1968).

Mala Sinha often acted alongside popular actors like Uttam Kumar, Kishore Kumar, and Dev Anand. She was the highest-paid actress from 1958 to 1965. She shared this spot with Vyjayanthimala. Later, she was one of the top actresses until the early 1970s.

Early Life and Childhood

Mala Sinha was born to Christian Nepali parents. Her family moved to West Bengal, India, from the Nepalese plains. Her father's name was Albert Sinha.

Mala's first name was Alda. When she was a child in school in Calcutta (now Kolkata), her friends would tease her. They called her Dalda, which is a brand of cooking oil. So, when she got her first acting job as a child, she changed her name to Baby Nazma. Later, as an adult actress, she changed it again to Mala Sinha. As a child, she learned to dance and sing. She was a singer approved by All India Radio. However, she almost never sang in her films. She performed in many stage shows as a singer from 1947 to 1975.

Her Acting Journey

Mala Sinha began her acting career as a child in Bengali films. Her first films were Jai Vaishno Devi and Shri Krishan Leela. A famous Bengali director, Ardhendu Bose, saw her acting in a school play. He asked her father if she could be the main actress in his Bengali film Roshanara (1952). This was her first movie as a lead.

After a few films in Calcutta, Mala Sinha went to Bombay for a Bengali movie. There, she met Geeta Bali, a well-known Bollywood actress. Geeta Bali was impressed by Mala and introduced her to director Kidar Sharma. Sharma then cast Mala as the heroine in his film Rangeen Ratein.

Her first Hindi film was Badshah, where she acted with Pradeep Kumar. Then came Ekadashi, a film about mythology. These first two Hindi films were not very successful. However, her main role in Kishore Sahu's Hamlet got her great reviews. Even though Hamlet did not do well at the box office, it showed her talent.

Becoming a Versatile Actress

Mala Sinha became known as a brave actress who took on different and challenging roles. Films like Lai Batti and Nausherwan-E-Adil helped her gain this reputation. In Nausherwan-E-Adil, she played Marcia in a love story. Another important film was Phir Subah Hogi. This movie was based on a famous book called Crime and Punishment. These films showed that Mala Sinha was not afraid to try new things in her career.

She used to sing for All India Radio. But she was not allowed to sing in her movies, except for one time in 1972's Lalkar. In the 1950s, she had many hit films with Pradeep Kumar. These included Fashion (1957) and Detective (1958).

Breakthrough with Pyaasa and Dhool Ka Phool

In 1957, the famous actor and director Guru Dutt chose Mala Sinha for his film Pyaasa. This role was first meant for another actress, Madhubala. In Pyaasa, Mala Sinha played a woman who chooses to marry a rich man instead of her poor lover. Pyaasa is still seen as a classic film in Indian cinema. It was a big turning point for Mala Sinha's career.

After Pyaasa, her next big successes were Phir Subah Hogi (1958) and Yash Chopra's first film as a director, Dhool Ka Phool (1959). These films made her a major dramatic star. She was part of many successful movies from 1958 to the early 1960s. These included Parvarish (1958), Ujala (1959), and Love Marriage (1959).

Popular Pairings and Strong Roles

Mala Sinha continued to play lead roles in Bengali films throughout the 1950s to the 1970s. She acted with Kishore Kumar in Lookochoori (1958).

Some of Mala Sinha's best performances were in Bahurani (1963) and Gumrah (1963). Audiences loved her acting with Raaj Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Biswajit, and Manoj Kumar. Her films with Biswajit were especially popular. They made ten films together, including Aasra and Do Kaliyaan. In 2007, they even won a special award together for their popular pairing.

Mala Sinha worked with many different actors. She acted with senior stars like Kishore Kumar and Raj Kapoor. She also worked with new stars like Manoj Kumar and Dharmendra. In many of her films from the 1960s, her character was as strong as, or even stronger than, the hero's. She often got her name listed first in the movie credits.

Personal Life and Family

In 1966, Mala Sinha went to Nepal to act in a Nepali film called Maitighar. This was the only Nepali film she ever made. She met Chidambar Prasad Lohani, who was the hero of the film. He owned an estate business.

Soon after, Mala Sinha married C. P. Lohani with her parents' blessing. Their marriage was a long-distance one. Lohani stayed in Kathmandu to manage his business. Mala Sinha lived in Bombay with their daughter, Pratibha. She continued acting after her marriage. Their daughter, Pratibha Sinha, also became an actress for a while.

From the late 1990s, Mala Sinha, her husband, and their daughter lived together in a home in Bandra, Mumbai. Her mother lived with them until she passed away in 2017. Mala Sinha's daughter, Pratibha, cares for stray dogs and cats at their home. Mala Sinha's husband, Chidambar Prasad Lohani, passed away in June 2024.

Her Impact on Cinema

Sinha at an event

Dinesh Raheja, a film writer, said that Mala Sinha's success in the 1960s came from her own star power. He noted that even when she acted with big stars, her roles were just as important as theirs. In 2022, she was named one of the "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" by Outlook India.

Film critic Subhash K. Jha said that Mala Sinha was always a "daring diva." He pointed out that in Dhool Ka Phool, she played the first unmarried mother in Hindi cinema. In Gumrah, she played a wife who secretly continued a relationship with her old love. Many of her roles were considered very modern for their time. Mala Sinha was one of the highest-paid actresses of the 1960s.

Filmography

Awards and Special Mentions

Other Recognitions

• 2004 - Sikkim Samman Award by Government of Sikkim
• 2005 - National Film Awards (Nepal) - Critics Award - Maitighar
• 2013 - Kelvinator GR8! Women Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2017 - LG Film Award - Special Honour for Maitighar
• 2021 - Deenanath Mangeshkar Vishesh Purashkar: Contribution in Cinema