By Saba Shabbir

ONE could not think of an individual better suited to write a book on the charming, beautiful and timeless movie star, Waheeda Rehman. Nasreen Munni Kabir is a recognised documentary filmmaker, producer and writer on Indian cinema with a number of books to her credit.

The idea for Conversations with Waheeda Rehman came about when she was in the process of making a documentary for Channel 4 on the legendary Guru Dutt. “No story about Guru Dutt would have been complete without [Waheeda Rehman] speaking of him. She is such a vital presence in his work that when you meet Guru Dutt’s fans, you realise that half are in love with him and the other half are in love with her.”

Even though Rehman agreed to let Kabir interview her for the 1989 documentary on Guru Dutt and one on Lata Mangeshkar in 1990, she at first refused to let Kabir write a book on her life and work experiences.

Kabir recalls that “When I first asked her, sometime in 2005, about writing a book on her, she smilingly said no. Later she revealed to me that she has a habit of saying no at first, even when a film role was offered. Her initial reluctance to the idea of a book came from wondering why her story would interest anyone in the first place.”

Not unlike this sentiment, Kabir’s documentation of Rehman’s life and work through candid exchanges gives us an insight into the humility, discipline and understanding of life that Waheeda Rehman possesses and adheres to.

The writer and actress, through their conversations spread over a year, take us on a cinematic journey — from black and white to technicolour, from Pyaasa to Rang de Basanti — while also sharing stories from Rehman’s personal life.

The youngest of four daughters, Rehman was an asthmatic child and from the age of nine had been encouraged by her mother to train in classical dance to strengthen her lungs. Recalling her childhood she says, “When I first started learning how to dance some of our relatives were disapproving and told my father: ‘Saab, you’re a Muslim and you’re allowing your daughters to dance?’ His reply was: ‘Dancing is an art and no art is bad. It’s how you conduct yourself that can bring dishonour to your profession. The medical profession is a fine one, but if a doctor misbehaves, you cannot blame his profession, can you?’”

She fondly recalls her relationship with her father, a district commissioner in the south of India, and the movies, concerts, picnics and dance recitals the family went to together. Sadly, though, Rehman lost her father when she was 13. For some time, the sisters and their mother had to struggle to make ends meet till Rehman’s training in Bharatanatyam helped her land a dancing role in the Telugu film, Rojulu Marayi. From then on there has been no turning back for her. Rehman says that “Rojulu Marayi means ‘days have changed’ and the title perfectly described that moment in my life.”

Kabir adds that Rehman’s “success in the film ultimately led to a meeting with Guru Dutt in Hyderabad. Three months after their fortuitous meeting, in 1955, the 17-year-old Waheeda Rehman moved to Bombay where she signed a three-year contract with Guru Dutt Films.”
From a young age, Rehman was a confident and meticulous individual. When not yet 18-years old, she refused to change her name for films and insisted on adding a clause about not wearing anything she found objectionable in the contract with Guru Dutt Films. At the age of 19, Rehman also lost her mother, who had been a constant support and companion since her early days in cinema. Dedication to her profession helped Rehman cope and come into her own, despite her premature losses. She remains widely respected and admired for her professionalism, talent as well as graciousness.

Besides delightful behind-the-scenes anecdotes from memorable productions the audiences have grown to cherish and regard as classics, the book gives us deeper insight into the actress as a person and her relationships with her family, co-stars, mentors and friends from within and outside the film industry.

On being asked about Pyaasa, the acclaimed 1957 film which has been screened at festivals all around the world and also features in Time magazine’s list of best 100 films ever, Rehman says that “The subject of Pyaasa can never date. It’s about human values — and the things people seek in life: love, recognition and self-respect.”

On the type of roles she like to play, Rehman says, “A character touches me if I believe the events in the film could actually happen to someone in real life. Then I can perform better. When the characters and storylines are too unreal, my work isn’t very good. My heart isn’t in it.”

Asked by Kabir how she relates to characters from some of her celebrated movies, she says, “There’s a bit of me in Shanti, Gulabo and Rosie. But I think I’m most like Rosie. She’s a straightforward woman who knows her own mind and stands by what she believes in.” But the reason she never stepped into the director’s shoes, Rehman explains, was her personality: “My problem is that I am too logical and Hindi cinema does not bother much about logic. I remember asking my film directors: How is this scene possible? How can this character do this? I always got the same answer: We have to exaggerate and elaborate. If we stick to logic, the film won’t be interesting and it will not run.”

Rehman says that she worked better with directors like Guru Dutt, Stayajit Ray, Asit Sen, Vijay Anand, Basu Bhattacharya and A. Subba Rao, who explained scene and character requirements clearly.

She also fondly recalls working with the likes of Lata Mangeshkar, Dev Anand, Vijay Anand and American director Tad Danielewski, for the Hindi and English version of the unforgettable Guide. “Recently, a young woman I met told me she thought the song ‘Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai’ was the first feminist song of Hindi cinema because it describes a woman who takes her life in her own hands. Yes! I want to live.”

Rehman believes that her grounded upbringing helped her understand from the beginning that fame doesn’t last. “I have believed in improving myself as a person, to keep learning. My curiosity has kept me alive. I have a positive attitude to life and am peaceful in myself. I don’t like thinking about the past. But when I do, I think about the beautiful things that have happened — the wonderful moments of my childhood and the things that my parents would tell me. It is the present that counts.”

Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is candid, real and personal; with vivid and insightful accounts of Rehman’s life and the rich cinema history linked with it.

Conversations with Waheeda Rehman

(INTERVIEWS)

By Nasreen Munni Kabir

Penguin Books, India

ISBN 9780670086924

256pp.