Sadhana Shivdasani facts for kids

Sadhana Shivdasani (born September 2, 1941 – died December 25, 2015), known simply as Sadhana, was a famous Indian actress. She starred in Hindi films mostly between 1958 and 1981. People remember Sadhana as one of the best and most stylish actresses from the "golden age" of Hindi cinema. She was admired for her beauty, her natural acting, and her trend-setting fashion.

Sadhana was often called "The Mystery Girl." This was because she played mysterious women in a series of suspense thriller films directed by Raj Khosla in the mid-1960s. During this time, from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, she was one of the highest-paid actresses in India.

Sadhana was born in Karachi. When she was seven years old, her family moved to Bombay because of the partition of India. From a young age, she dreamed of becoming an actress. After a small, uncredited role in Shree 420 (1955), director Sashadhar Mukherjee helped her. He enrolled her in his acting school. Then, he gave her first main role in the romantic comedy Love in Simla (1960). In this film, her special hairstyle became very popular and was called the "Sadhana Cut."

After Love in Simla was a success, Sadhana became a well-known actress. She starred in many hit movies. These included the comedy Parakh (1960), the romantic drama Asli-Naqli (1962), the war film Hum Dono (1961), and the adventure thriller Ek Musafir Ek Haseena (1962).

Her biggest hits followed, like the romantic drama Mere Mehboob (1963), the historical film Rajkumar (1964), and the family drama Arzoo (1965). She also starred in the multi-star film Waqt (1965). Her famous "Mystery Girl" roles were in the thrillers Woh Kaun Thi (1964), Mera Saaya (1966), and Anita (1967).

In the late 1960s, Sadhana had some health problems. She took a short break from acting to get treatment in Boston. She returned to films in 1969 with two big hits: Ek Phool Do Mali and Intaqam. In 1974, she directed her first film, the crime thriller Geetaa Mera Naam. After this, she stopped acting. Her last film appearance was in Ulfat Ki Nayi Manzilein (1994), which was released much later. In 2002, she received the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award for her great work in Indian cinema.

Sadhana married R.K. Nayyar, who directed her film Love in Simla, on March 7, 1966. Their marriage lasted for almost 30 years. Nayyar passed away in September 1995. Sadhana died on December 25, 2015, in Mumbai.

Her Early Life

Sadhana was born Anjali Shivdasani in a Sindhi Hindu family in Karachi, British India. This was on September 2, 1941. She was the second child of Shivram Shivdasani and Lali Devi. Her father was a big fan of the Bengali actress-dancer Sadhana Bose. So, he renamed his daughter Sadhana when she was five years old. Her father's brother was actor Hari Shivdasani, who was the father of actress Babita. Sadhana also had an older sister named Sarla.

Her family moved from Karachi to Bombay (now Mumbai) during the partition of India. Her mother taught her at home until she was eight. Then, Sadhana went to Auxilium Convent School. After school, she studied for an Arts Degree at Jai Hind College.

During college, she acted in many plays. Her family was facing financial difficulties. To help, Sadhana started working as a typist in Colaba. She attended college in the mornings and worked in the afternoons. She could not finish her degree because she joined films. She had always wanted to be an actress. She looked up to actress Nutan and was a big fan of actor Dev Anand. She later worked with Dev Anand in films like Hum Dono (1961) and Asli-Naqli (1962).

Her Acting Journey

Sadhana dreamed of acting since she was a child. In 1955, she appeared as a chorus girl in the song "Mur mur ke na dekh mur mur ke" in Raj Kapoor's film Shree 420. When she was 15, some producers saw her in a college play. They cast her in India's first Sindhi film, Abaana (1958). She played the younger sister of Sheila Ramani.

A picture of Sadhana from Abaana appeared in Screen magazine. Sashadhar Mukherjee, a top producer, saw her photo. He invited her to join his acting school. Her first co-star there was Joy Mukherjee, Sashadhar's son. R.K. Nayyar, who later became her husband, directed her first main film. He also created her famous "Sadhana cut" hairstyle. This look was inspired by the British actress Audrey Hepburn.

Filmalaya Production introduced Joy, Sadhana, and her iconic hairstyle in their 1960 romantic film Love in Simla. The film was a big hit and was one of the top 10 films of 1960. She later worked with Joy again in Ek Musafir Ek Haseena.

Becoming a Star

Besides Love in Simla, Sadhana also worked with director Bimal Roy in his film Parakh. In this film, she played a simple village girl. The movie won many awards and was a semi-hit. It is known for the song "O Sajna Barkha Bahar Aai."

Major Hit Films

• 1961: Hum Dono - In this hit film, she played the love interest of Dev Anand. This black-and-white film was later colorized and re-released in 2011.
• 1962: Asli-Naqli - She was paired with Dev Anand again in this film by director Hrishikesh Mukherjee. It had popular songs like "Tujhe Jeevan Ki Dor Se" and "Tera Mera Pyar Amar." That same year, director Raj Khosla cast her opposite Joy Mukherjee in Ek Musafir Ek Hasina. Khosla would later direct Sadhana in a series of three suspense thrillers.
• 1963: Mere Mehboob - This film was the highest-earning Indian film of 1963. Sadhana starred with Rajendra Kumar and Ashok Kumar. It was her first role in a technicolor film. The song "Mere Mehboob Tujhe" became very popular. The film was a huge success.
• 1964: Woh Kaun Thi - In this film, she played a double role in the first of her suspense-thriller trilogy. Her performance earned her first Filmfare nomination for Best Actress. She was part of the classic songs "Naina barse" and "Lag jaa gale." The film was a box office hit. Raj Khosla then cast her in two more successful mystery films: Mera Saaya (1966) and Anita (1967). This made her famous as the "Mystery Girl."
• 1965: Arzoo - Arzoo was a successful film with Sadhana, Rajendra Kumar, and Feroz Khan. It featured hit songs like "Ae Phoolon ki Rani" and "Aji rooth kar ab."
• 1966: Mera Saaya - This courtroom drama was a box office success. She played a double role opposite Sunil Dutt. This was the third film Raj Khosla directed with Sadhana. The song "Jhumka Gira Re" became incredibly popular. People would throw coins at the screen in cinemas! It also had classic songs like "Mera Saaya Saath Hoga" and "Nainon Mein Badra Chhaye."
• 1965: Waqt - In this drama film, Sadhana appeared with Sunil Dutt. She received her second Filmfare nomination for Best Actress for her role as Meena. This film was one of Bollywood's first ensemble cast movies. She also started the fashion trend of tight churidar-kurtas. The film was a "blockbuster hit" in 1965.
• 1967: Anita - In this suspense film, Sadhana starred with Manoj Kumar. This was the last film in the suspense-thriller series by Khosla and Sadhana.
• 1969: Inteqam - This film was directed by her husband, R.K. Nayyar. Sadhana and Sanjay Khan played the main roles. It was a success and marked Sadhana's return after her brief illness.

Her other notable films in the 1960s include Gaban (1966) and Budtameez (1966). Sadhana and Shammi Kapoor worked together in four films, with three of them being hits.

• 1964: Rajkumar - Rajkumar starred Sadhana, Shammi Kapoor, and Prithviraj Kapoor. It was a box office success with hit songs like "Aaja Aai Bahar" and "Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye."
• 1969: Sachaai - Sachaai starred Sadhana, Shammi Kapoor, and Sanjeev Kumar. This film was a hit with songs like "Sau baras ki zindagi" and "Ae dost mere maine duniya dekhi hai."
• 1969: Ek Phool Do Mali - This film starred Sadhana and Sanjay Khan. It had many hit songs such as "Ye Parda Hata Do," "O Nanhe Se Farishte," and "Tujhe Suraj Kahoon Ya Chanda."

Sadhana (first from right) with Helen, Waheeda Rehman and Nanda in 2010

Sadhana had health issues due to her thyroid. She got treatment in Boston. After returning, she starred in successful movies like Intaquam (1969), Ek Phool Do Mali (1969), Sachaai (1969), Dil Daulat Duniya (1972), and Geeta Mera Naam (1974).

In 1974, her film Geeta Mera Naam was released. She directed it and also played the lead role, alongside Sunil Dutt and Feroz Khan. This film did well at the box office. After this, she stopped acting because she did not want to play smaller roles. She and her husband later started a production company. She also produced the movie Pati Parmeshwar in 1989.

Her Personal Life

Sadhana married Ram Krishna Nayyar, the director of Love in Simla, on March 7, 1966. Their love grew while working on the film. Her parents were against the marriage at first because she was very young. They were married for almost 30 years until Nayyar passed away in 1995. They did not have any children. In 2013, she mentioned that she kept in touch with actresses like Asha Parekh, Waheeda Rehman, Nanda, Shammi, and Helen.

She had eye problems because of hyperthyroidism. After she stopped acting, she preferred not to be photographed. She lived in Santacruz, Mumbai, in an apartment building owned by singer Asha Bhosle.

A Fashion Icon

Sadhana started the trend of the fringe hairstyle in the Indian film industry. This was in her first film, Love in Simla. R.K. Nayyar, the director and her future husband, suggested the fringe to make her forehead look narrower. Sadhana said they tried different things, but Nayyar then suggested the fringe, like Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn wore. The fringe quickly became popular and a fashion craze in the 1960s.

Girls all over India copied the style, and it is still known as the "Sadhana cut." The look suited her playful and glamorous role in the film. However, when Sadhana went to shoot for Bimal Roy's Parakh, Roy was surprised by her modern look. She had to pin back her fringe to look like the simple village girl she played. In 1963, when she played a simple Muslim girl in Mere Mehboob, Sadhana changed her famous "Sadhana cut." She parted her hair in the middle and wore a braid. But the director, H.S. Rawail, told her the audience wanted to see her signature "Sadhana cut" and asked her to bring it back. Many years later, actress Deepika Padukone wore a similar fringe in her films Om Shanti Om (2007) and Chandni Chowk To China (2009).

Sadhana is also known for making the tight churidar-kurta fashionable. She suggested this idea to her director Yash Chopra for the 1965 film Waqt. She wanted to change the traditional loose salwar kameez to a more fitted style. Chopra was unsure at first, but Sadhana, with her fashion designer Bhanu Athaiya, showed him a sample, which he liked. This trend lasted into the 1970s, and many actresses adopted it.

In a song from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), actress Bipasha Basu wore a white churidar-kurta and the famous fringe as a tribute to Sadhana.

In 2014, Sadhana made a rare public appearance. She walked the ramp in a pink sari at a fashion show to support patients with cancer and AIDS. Her relative, actor Ranbir Kapoor, escorted her.

Awards and Recognition

Her Passing

In her later years, Sadhana faced some legal issues and health problems. She had emergency surgery in December 2014 for a bleeding oral lesion.

Sadhana passed away on December 25, 2015, at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai. She had been admitted with a high fever. Her specific illness was not publicly shared. Sadhana was cremated at Oshiwara crematorium in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Many Bollywood stars, including Anushka Sharma, Karan Johar, Lata Mangeshkar, and others, shared their sadness at her loss.

Filmography

Images for kids

• Sadhana-Waheeda-Helen-Nanda.jpg

  Sadhana with Helen, Waheeda Rehman and Nanda in 2010

See also

In Spanish: Sadhana Shivdasani para niños