Latest news with #MysteryGirl
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Bollywood's ‘mystery girl' died poor and alone, entangled in legal battles and failing health
Far beneath the glossy surface, beyond all the glitz and glam, lies a layer in Bollywood stained by the blood, sweat and tears of countless people who are now long forgotten. While the 'hard work' of those at the top is often spotlighted and hailed, the gruelling struggles of many others rarely reach the public eye, simply because they didn't succeed. They are unfairly judged as 'failures' and subsequently ignored. But history does not belong to the victors alone; it belongs to those who couldn't finish the race as well. And one such star, who once soared higher than any of her peers but eventually died a forgotten figure, was veteran actor Sadhana Shivdasani (known mononymously as Sadhana), whose life was nothing short of a tragic tale. 'Death proved to be a salvation for her,' late actor and talk show host Tabassum emotionally told SCREEN when Sadhana passed away at the age of 74 in 2015. Tabassum wasn't wrong. Not only had Sadhana's health significantly deteriorated by then, but she was also struggling financially, with no one to support her. Both the industry and her so-called 'fans' turned a blind eye to her, and Bollywood's 'Mystery Girl' took her last breath in desolation. Tabassum revealed that only a few from the industry, friends and relatives came to bid her farewell. Don't Miss | Legendary Bollywood music composer lived as paying guest in final years, banned family from attending funeral Born on September 2, 1941, in Karachi to a Sindhi family, Sadhana's family moved to India after the Partition in 1947, when she was just six years old. 'We moved from Delhi to Benaras to Calcutta before settling down in Mumbai in 1950,' author-columnist Dinesh Raheja quoted her in a 2012 article for 'Main apne mohalle ki dada hua karti thi (I was a bully in my neighbourhood). I was a tomboy. I made the best maanja, and I would fly kites while an aide of mine would hold the firki.' After settling in Mumbai, she was enrolled at the Auxilium Convent School in Wadala. 'Even while in school, I had made up my mind that as soon as I finished my schooling, I would become an actress,' she once told Star and Style magazine. With that firm dream, she eventually joined the Filmalaya School of Acting, where she met director RK Nayyar — whom she later married — while he was preparing to direct Love in Simla (1960). It was Sashadhar Mukherjee, the owner of Filmalaya Studio, who spotted her in an advertisement and got her enrolled in the acting school. Interestingly, Love in Simla, which Mukherjee himself produced, marked the debut of both his son Joy Mukherjee and Sadhana as leading stars. Although she had previously made an appearance in a song in Raj Kapoor's Shree 420 (1955) as a child artiste, and in the Sindhi film Abana, it was Love in Simla that gave her her first major break. The film was a massive success, and her Audrey Hepburn-inspired 'Sadhana fringe' became a trendsetter, establishing her as a fashion icon. From Bimal Roy's Parakh (1960) and Amarjeet's Hum Dono (1961), where she starred opposite Dev Anand, to Krishnan–Panju's Man-Mauji (1962) with Kishore Kumar and Raj Khosla's Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962), which marked her reunion with Joy Mukherjee, everything she touched turned to gold. Of the 19 releases she had in the 1960s, a whopping 11 were reportedly hits. Thus, she quickly became a formidable force in Bollywood. In her early days, she was bound by a three-year contract with Filmalaya. 'I was paid Rs 750 a month for the first year, Rs 1,500 a month for the second year, and Rs 3,000 a month for the third year,' she recalled, highlighting her rapid ascent to stardom. Even at the peak of her fame, she maintained warm relationships with her co-stars, particularly Rajendra Kumar, with whom she worked in HS Rawail's Mere Mehboob (1963). She once shared that he often called her 'Bhapa' (elder brother in Punjabi). Her mother even expressed a desire to see her married to 'someone like Rajendra Kumar.' But by then, Sadhana had fallen deeply in love with RK Nayyar. In fact, Rajendra Kumar shared a close bond with both of them. She once named Rajendra Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Shammi Kapoor as her favourite heroes to work with. She also described Dev Anand, her Asli Naqli and Hum Dono co-star, as 'like a charged battery — a mini dynamo.' 'I really cannot talk much about my female co-stars because I cannot make friends very easily. And even when I made friends, I preferred the males to the females. Sitting and talking about household chores was not interesting to me then. I hardly knew anything about it. So at parties and premieres, I was always with the male crowd,' she told Star and Style magazine. Amid all this, her love for RK Nayyar endured. They eventually tied the knot in 1966. 'I was friendly with Nayyar right from my first film, and though we lost touch with each other for a couple of years in between, it was always only Nayyar for me. I remember how my parents put their foot down and said no initially. After all, I was just 17 when I married him.' But her happiness was short-lived. In the late 1960s, she began battling hyperthyroidism. Not only did it affect her health, but it also forced her to step away from acting to begin treatment, costing her several roles that would have helped her soar more. Although a sport, she was hurt when director HS Rawail replaced her in Sunghursh (1968) without informing her. 'After I signed Sunghursh, my thyroid problem cropped up. So I called Mr Rawail and told him to sign another heroine. He dismissed it with 'If I could wait so long for you for Mere Mehboob, I can wait for Sunghursh too.' However, five days later, I read a huge ad in the SCREEN newspaper declaring Vyjayanthimala as the heroine of the film. It hurt. I didn't talk to Mr HS Rawail thereafter.' Sunghursh featured legendary actor Dilip Kumar as the male lead. Also Read | Inside Vivek Oberoi's Dubai home: The 'money-man' with net worth of Rs 1200 crore who grows 'kadhi patta' and collects 'desi' art During this period, she also lost the chance to work in Raj Kapoor's Around the World (1967). Though she returned with hits like Intaqam (1969) and Ek Phool Do Mali (1969) after the treatment, offers gradually began to dry up in the 1970s. Before slowly stepping away from acting, she tried her hand at direction as well with Geetaa Mera Naam (1974), featuring herself, Sunil Dutt, Feroz Khan and Helen. Soon, Sadhana quietly exited the limelight. Her final film, Ulfat Ki Nayi Manzilein, was released much later in 1994. Tragedy struck her again in 1995 when RK Nayyar passed away due to asthma, leaving her completely alone, as the couple had no children. Sadly, this wasn't by choice. 'I have very few regrets — losing my baby was one of them,' she told Raheja, revealing yet another painful chapter of her life. Though she once preferred male company, in her final years she grew close to contemporaries like Waheeda Rehman, Nanda, Asha Parekh and Helen, who became her emotional support system. The group met for lunch every month, offering her some solace. In her last years, however, she also became entangled in legal battles. There were three cases involving Sadhana. While one was filed against her by the landlord of her Santacruz building, Yusuf Lakdawala, another was filed by her against the same landlord, alleging harassment. The third was a defamation case that emerged from the dispute, filed by Lakdawala against her. By then, Sadhana was struggling both financially and physically, unable to keep up with her health expenses and legal costs. Though she pleaded for help, no one came to her aid. Sadhana breathed her last at a Mumbai hospital on December 25, 2015, after a brief illness.
Scoop
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Bad Suns Share Dreamy New Single 'Mystery Girl'
' More than a decade since the arrival of their debut album, 'Language & Perspective', Bad Suns still know how to bottle the warmth of summer in California in three perfect minutes of pop rock.' - Rolling Stone Best Songs Of The Year So Far California indie-pop band Bad Suns unveil their sparkling new single 'Mystery Girl ', the latest taste of their dance-inducing new album Accelerator out on August 8th via Epitaph. In an upbeat cascade of dreamy riffs and a lively rhythm section, Christo Bowman 's wistfully reflective lyrics signify a crossroads for the lead singer and guitarist. Through a diaristic stream of consciousness, he remembers his coming-of-age years while facing the inertia of fatherhood: ' There's this beautiful new chapter in my life unfolding, and there's mixed emotions that come with it, ' he says. '' Mystery Girl' is a song about my teenage years, past relationships and experiences, and being a young person who is ultimately just looking for love. ' 'Mystery Girl' Since 2012, Bowman (vocals/guitar), Gavin Bennett (bass) and Miles Morris (drums) started making music together as teenagers and went viral almost immediately with their magnetic blend of indie-rock and '80s synth sheen. After four hit albums, the trio reached a point where they needed to recalibrate and recenter if they wanted to continue. Recording their exuberant 2023 EP Infinite Joy was a cleansing experience that served as fuel for Bad Suns and set them on a thrilling path forward into making Accelerator, which comprises 12 new tracks brimming with dance-pop hooks and poignant lessons learned. ' We saw the Infinite Joy EP as a new beginning for the band. I felt this yearning once again,' reflects Christo Bowman. ' Accelerator being our fifth album, our first studio album as a trio, and the first album of my 30s, we knew that this was going to be really important. We didn't want to take that lightly. We asked ourselves, how do we live up to the occasion? We saw this album as a mountain we wanted to climb.' Bad Suns ushered in the first preview of Accelerator with the grooving single 'Communicating', currently at #21 on the alternative rock charts and recently named one of Rolling Stone 's Best Songs Of The Year So Far. They compared the track to ' a late-night cruise down the highway with the windows down, the slinky bass thumping, and overthinking in overdrive. ' Anthemic opener 'Slow Karma' revealed a riveting pop turn for the band, showing how Accelerator is still steeped in the original DNA that made Bad Suns a feel-good viral sensation with early hits like ' Cardiac Arrest.' The rushing pop melodies may mirror Accelerator 's title, but its lyrics are filled with stop-and-think moments where Christo surveys his past actions and makes the intentional choice to embrace personal growth and impending fatherhood. ' My 20s were a challenging time with a lot of peaks and a lot of valleys, ' he says. ' There's a lot of joy, a lot of mistakes. This album is ultimately about finding the strength within yourself to assess the damage that's been done and make the changes that you need to in order to take control of your own life.' As Bad Suns move into their latest era, one filled with exciting personal and professional milestones, they've never been more harmoniously aligned. ' While making this album, I turned 30, I got married, I found out I was having a kid, ' the frontman muses. ' Going to the studio every day and being in the room with the guys, I had this sense that I'm going to look back and know that was probably one of the best times of my life. ' Slow Karma Ready To Take Flight Mystery Girl Communicating Why Am I Like This? Madeline Just Like Magic Back To Zero What's Best For You Postcard Wait In The Car
India.com
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Mystery Girls who became famous over night during IPL 2025
Aaryapriya Bhuyan's reaction caught everyone's attention after MS Dhoni's dismissal in IPL 2025. Her video went viral on social media and she became famous overnight. When Shashi Dhiman, who handles the social media of Punjab Kings, appeared on camera for the first time, her look and style attracted the fans and she went viral immediately. Riya Lalwani appeared on the TV screen during the double super over between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians in the year 2020 and her smile took over social media. Shruti Tuli's reaction was captured on camera during a Chennai Super Kings match in the year 2022. It was soon revealed that she is a Bollywood actress and fans named her "CSK Mystery Girl". Aarti Bedi was shown on the TV screen in the match played between Delhi and KKR in 2022. Her smile and style rocked social media. Deepika Ghosh's photo went viral during the Royal Challengers Bangalore match in IPL 2019. She started trending on social media within a few hours. In the very first match of IPL 2022, the camera focused on Devika Nair. After this, she became famous overnight and became known as the "Mystery Girl of the Season".
