Happy birthday to Mala Sinha.
The viewers of bollywood films wish happy birthday to Mala Sinha today on the 11th of November. She had been an unhonoured legend of the golden age of bollywood films of the 50s and 60s. She is probably the only bollywood star other than Manisha Koirala who had come from Nepal and made her presence felt in the list of powerful actresses of the 50s and 60s.
Her performance in the films Phir Subah Hogi, Parvarish, etc., opposite Raj Kapoor were very challenging. The films required very serious emotions and she did justice to the films and also to the songs like “woh subah kabhi to ayegi” and “phir na kije meri gustaq nigahon ka gila” composed by Khayyam in the film Phir Subah Hogi.
She got a challenging role in Guru Dutt’s Pyasa where she played the role of a student who studied together with Guru Dutt but married a rich man. The greatness of Wahida Rehman was glorified in the film who even being a tawaif had given shelter to Guru Dutt when his own brothers denied to recognize him. Mala Sinha displayed the compulsion of hindu wives in fulfillment of the marital responsibilities once they are married.
In the 60s Mala Sinha impressed the audience with her performance in the film Jahan-Ara. It was a historical film based on a love-story which took place during the Mughal regime. Bharat Bhushan played the role of a poet and singer in the film and Mala Sinha gave able lips in the songs “baad muddat key eh ghari ayi” composed by Madan Mohan. The personality of Jahan-ara was depicted by Mala Sinha and she was sublime in her pronunciation of urdu dialogues in the film.
She acted in many musical blockbusters in the 60s ranging from Dil Tera Diwana opposite Shammi Kapoor, Baharein Phir Bhi Ayegi opposite Dharmender, Night in London opposite Biswajeet, Mere Huzoor opposite Jeetender. Mala Sinha had also given adequate lips in many of the hit songs of that period including “aap ke nazron ne samjha” composed by Madan Mohan, “dil tera diwana” composed by Shankar Jaikishan, “tasveer teri dil me” composed by Salil Choudhury, to name a few.
She also created her identity by acting in hit Bengali films opposite Uttam Kumar in the 50s and 60s. She gave elegant lips in hit songs like “nishi raat bakha chand akashe” and “bashi bujhi sei sure”, etc., sung by Geeta Dutt. Her major successful films opposite Uttam Kumar include Sathihara, Saharer Itikatha, Putrobodhu, Bondhu, Khelaghar, etc. She also showed her depth of acting in the role of Abhaya, written by Sarat Chandra Chatterji in the film Abhaya Srikanto opposite Bosonto Choudhury who played the role of Sarat Chandra Chatterji himself.
She knew how to sing herself and that had helped her to give effortless songs both in bollywood films and Bengali films. She also impressed the viewers in character roles like the one played in the film Khel with Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit in the 90s.
Her films should be watched by the new generation to learn the art of acting and playing notable characters according to the requirement of the stories.
2 comments:
Mala Sina was brilliant in her performance in the role in the film Do Bhai, and also in the film Jahan-ara. She picked up the urdu accent to perfection even being a Nepali. She sustained in bollywood films in the 60s amidst competition from Vaijayantimala, Wahida Rehman, Sadhna, etc., and it required great capability to do do.
Supriya Chatterji.
Mala Sinha was a very versatile actress, and brave too in her selection of roles. Watch her in Naushervan-e-adil, Bombai ka chor, Phir kab milogi, Haryali aur rasta, Jahan Ara, Dhool ka phool to get a sense of her range. She was also one of the prettiest and sexiest actresses of the 60s, who could look absolutely marvellous in western outfits (perhaps better). Watch Ankhen and Night In London :-). A huge pity the intellectual types have not formally recognised her as a legend. A big shame, actually.
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