Latest news with #Tabassum
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Married at 12 and mother at 17, Bollywood's favourite mausi refused to play heroine, insisted on acting even after suffering paralysis
Any commercial film has hundreds of people working behind the scenes. Actors and directors are obviously the first ones to bear the fruit of their labour in the case of a Saiyaara or the first ones to be blamed in the case of a Loveyapa (Aamir Khan must have felt that one). The crew too get their due at some point, but there are certain faces that, despite being on the screen, aren't talked about that often. Some actors play very specific character roles, but the need for such roles keeps changing with the time. For example, the role of the comedic best friend died out by the time the 2000s rolled in, as the lead stars now wanted to dip their hands in all facets of the job, including comedy. But there are certain roles that are seeped so deep within the psyche of the Indian consumer that they can never be abandoned. The caring, mostly helpless, 'just wants her kids to be married' maternal figure is probably the best example of this, and Leela Mishra, the actor who played the character of Mausi (aunt) in Sholay, is its best vessel. Let's give some background about Mishra herself, and then we will begin dissecting some of her best roles. She was born into a rich family, and her father was a wealthy landowner. She was married at the age of 12. Having received no formal education growing up, she was already a mother to two children by the time she was 17. Interestingly, this marriage, which was undoubtedly a product of what the society thought was status quo back in the day, gave her the chance to join the movie business, as her husband, Ram Prasad Mishra, was an actor. He introduced her to Mama Shinde, who was an employee of the Dadasaheb Phalke's film company, and Shinde suggested that Mishra should get into acting herself. Slowly but surely, Mishra started her cinematic journey, but according to an old interview, she never wanted to be the 'heroine' of any film. ALSO READ: Hema Malini-Dharmendra's real-life romance charged up their chemistry in Sholay: 'Sometimes there were problems…' Actor and host Tabassum once recalled on her YouTube channel that she had interviewed Mishra in the 70s, and that's when the actor told her that she found it very difficult playing the role of leading lady. Tabassum said, 'Mishra told me that, 'Because of the way I have been brought up and due to the values that have been instilled in me, I could never romance a stranger and confess my love for him. These things just don't sit well with me, and that's why I decided that I will only do character roles.' Now this revelation completely flips the entire script, because we see so many actors who wish to play bigger and more important roles, but here was Mishra, who refused to be the leading lady because she didn't feel comfortable. So this then becomes not a story of negligence, but a story of a choice and how that choice affected her career and made her into Bollywood's most beloved mausi, dadi and nani,. In the same interview, Mishra admitted that Sholay (1975) changed the game for her. Mishra was part of some of the most iconic scenes of the Ramesh Sippy film, including the much-remembered water-tank scene. But that was Dharmendra's time to shine, and he played the drunk, in-love, and quite honestly self-combustible Veeru to perfection. Despite all the red flags, Mishra did what Preeti's father did in Kabir Singh, and she decided to give her blessings to Basanti and Veeru's union. However, the scene in which she truly shines is when she and Jai (Amitabh Bachchan) are having a conversation about Basanti and Veeru. The two begin a discussion which slowly paints a very grim and problematic picture about Veeru (like it mattered). The entire film is filled with action, drama, songs, and Thakur flaunting his cloak, and this particular scene is the perfect comedic relief. The two actors feed off each other's energy; that gives birth to a genuine and fathomable conversation. To this date, if you search for the scene on YouTube and read the comments, the people aren't talking about Big B; it's just Mishra. Her concerned and inquisitive demeanour goes insanely well with Bachchan's sarcastic and playful tone, and the two give a masterclass on how to create unforgettable moments without relying on explosions, bombastic BGM or slapstick. ALSO READ: Amar Singh Chamkila and Amy Winehouse are part of the same club, and we could have done something about it Another great performance by Mishra comes in the Sai Paranjpye film Chashme Buddoor (1981), where she plays Deepti Naval's grandmother. Apart from the fact that the film remains one of the best ways to transport yourself back to New Delhi of the 80s, it does this with the help of three great actors who play some of the most delinquent characters you will ever see on the screen. The trio of Farooq Shaikh, Rakesh Bedi, and Ravi Baswani play three roommates named Siddharth, Omi, and Jai, respectively. Mishra's still obsessed with getting the young girl from her household married, and while executing this obsession, she meets the three suitors. Director Sai, who herself is an inspiring woman, talked about Mishra in a recent interview with Filmfare. She said, 'She was professionalism personified; I had never met anyone like her. I hope I am not doing her wrong, but she wasn't educated, but she knew every aspect and nuance of filmmaking. While shooting Chashme Budoor, she improvised the scene where she is climbing up the stairs to get to the house of the boys.' Mishra discovering the cave of the three men and then stumbling upon an issue of the Playboy magazine is comedic gold. Mind you, she was there to recruit Omi and Jai for a mission to bring her granddaughter and Siddharth together, and the ones who have seen the film must realise that their house didn't exactly give the best first impression (it did have an Amitabh Bachchan poster though). Sai had also revealed why she thought Mishra was the most professional actor she had ever met and told how the actor persevered through life-threatening conditions just to get the right shot. 'I heard a story that when she was doing her very last film, she got a paralytic attack while shooting. Half of her body became paralysed, and the shooting stopped. People got in a frenzy and were making plans to send her back to Mumbai, but she said, 'No, we still have one shot left.' She told the crew to shoot her from the side that was still mobile, and she finished that scene.' The director said that Mishra was taken to Mumbai right after that scene, where she passed away. Mishra's career was legendary, and her presence was almost ubiquitous. She was prolific and set in her ways, and she became every director's first choice for when certain roles came around. Her comments on never wanting to be a heroine are quite interesting if you think about it, because in most of the scenes where Mishra got even a modicum of a true chance to showcase herself, she was brilliant. She was the silent, strong type who didn't want to be in the spotlight, but her art made it clear that if she wanted to, she could. If a person who can't reach the peak decides to not climb the mountain, that's not a choice; that's the limitation of that particular being. But if the one who could climb it backwards and descend faster than air chooses not to, then there is virtue in that choice. Mishra could have gone down as one of the greatest, most loved actors of this industry; she just didn't want to, she never felt the need for it. For Mishra it was more important to be moral than successful, and while the beliefs that she was defending might have been forgotten now, the thinking behind their protection is commendable, and something we could do with a lot more of.
News18
6 days ago
- News18
Married Daughters Can Claim Full Compensation In Motor Accident Compensation: Allahabad HC
Last Updated: The Allahabad HC dismissed appeals by the Uttar Pradesh government challenging compensation awarded to a woman after the deaths of her father and brother in a 2009 road accident The Allahabad High Court has ruled that married daughters can claim full compensation in motor accident cases, even if they are not financially dependent on the deceased. The high court dismissed appeals by the Uttar Pradesh government challenging the compensation awarded to a woman after the deaths of her father and brother in a 2009 road accident. The bench of Justice Jaspreet Singh examined precedents including the Supreme Court's judgments in Manjuri Bera v Oriental Insurance Co Ltd and more recent rulings such as National Insurance Co Ltd v Birender. It held that entitlement to compensation does not hinge solely on financial dependency. 'It would be anomalous to state that a person may lose a dear one and merely because the legal representative is not dependent, he or she would be confined to the no-fault liability amount… This would be a travesty of justice," Justice Singh observed. In upholding the compensation awards, the court directed the state to release the money within 60 days, including any outstanding sums and interest. The tragedy occurred on April 24, 2009, when Aftab Husain and his son Tanveer Husain were travelling on a motorcycle near Bahad Gram Khushalganj in Kakori, Lucknow. Their motorcycle was hit by a truck allegedly driven in a rash and negligent manner. Both father and son suffered grievous injuries and were rushed to the Trauma Centre at the Medical College in Lucknow. Aftab died on the day of the accident, while Tanveer succumbed to injuries a week later. Tabassum, the only surviving legal heir, filed two separate claims for compensation. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awarded her Rs 2,13,200 for her father's death and Rs 1,60,400 for her brother's, each with 6 percent annual interest. The state government, however, contested these awards arguing that as a married daughter, Tabassum was not financially dependent on her father or brother. It maintained that she was entitled only to the Rs 50,000 no-fault compensation under Section 140 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Further, the court noted that the claim of financial independence should not preclude full compensation. It pointed out that some earlier rulings, including Deep Shikha v National Insurance Co Ltd, had overlooked binding precedents that affirm the rights of legal heirs to claim compensation regardless of their dependency status. The court clarified that while dependency can affect the amount awarded, it cannot limit the right to claim compensation. The judgment also took into account the claimant's specific circumstances. Tabassum had submitted evidence that her husband worked abroad in Dubai and she was receiving support from her father and brother. The tribunal had accepted this, recognising at least partial dependency. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Bollywood starlet was pushed into prostitution, died penniless and alone at 34; her body was transported on ‘thela' for funeral
She appeared in only 10 films and died at the age of 34, but Vimi's career had more tragedy than a Bollywood potboiler. Born in 1943, Vimi trained to be a singer, but her decision to become an actor was met with staunch protest by her family. She was disowned, and left to navigate the film industry by herself. But she was a woman of taste; she lived in a Pali Hill bungalow, played golf in her spare time, and drove a fast car. In 1968, after the success of her debut film Humraaz, it seemed like Vimi was going to become one of the biggest stars of her generation. But her life took a nosedive not long afterwards, sending her to Kolkata, forcing her to rely on alcohol, and resulting in her untimely death at the age of 34. In an episode of Tabassum Talkies, the venerable host said that Vimi was married to a Kolkata-based businessman named Shiv Agarwal, who was disinherited by his family because of Vimi. In fact, she was already married when she joined the films. In a 1968 interview with Star and Style, Vimi had said that her husband was going to produce a film for her to star in, and that she had signed three movies — Rangeela, Sandesh and Appointment — after the success of Humraaz. Little did she know that Shiv would eventually leave her. Also read – Bollywood director lost entire life's savings after one flop; daughter was forced to dance, son performed for money at beach to repay debts Even though her first director, BR Chopra, said in a 1967 interview with Picture Post that she was 'intelligent, educated and grasps things quickly,' he didn't cast her in any future films. None of her movies after Humraaz worked. She got by on magazine photoshoots and public appearances. By 1971, she had disappeared into oblivion. It was only when she died in 1977 that the truth about her downfall came to light. It was revealed that her marriage with Shiv broke down because his parents convinced him to leave her when her career started to spiral, and that she had started living with a film distributor named Jolly, in the hope that it would help her professionally. Read more – Bollywood's biggest star of the 1950s became destitute, Amitabh Bachchan spotted him 'alone, unnoticed' at a bus stop: 'I drove on…' She started a textiles business, which was sold off in order to pay her debts. Tabassum said that Vimi developed a reputation for being a poor actor, which resulted in her not getting work. 'Because of this, she took to alcohol,' Tabassum said. She added that the distributor that Vimi had holed up with forced her into sex work, making it seem like this was the only way that she could revive her career. 'Vimi became a broken woman; she started drinking more heavily, and that, too, the cheap liquor,' Tabassum said. Vimi died in 1977 of liver disease at the Nanavati Hospital, and was taken by Jolly to the crematorium on a 'thela'. Nobody from the film industry showed up for her funeral, although, it was said that Sunil Dutt was there. Read more – National Award-winning actor became an auto rickshaw driver after film industry dreams shattered, was first spotted living on streets of Mumbai Even in death, Vimi wasn't spared the humiliation. A person named Krishna, claiming to be a 'friend', wrote a hurtful obituary in the Anand Bazar Patrika. Krishna described Vimi's death as 'a great pain-reliever to her.' He called her the girl 'with the roving eye who went out without her husband in the fond hope that some producer or actor will make her an offer.' In her short career, Vimi appeared in films such as Aabroo, with Ashok Kumar, and Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai, starring Prithviraj Kapoor and IS Johar. She also appeared in a cameo in Jaya Bhaduri's Guddi. Her final film was Subhash Ghai's Krodhi, starring Dharmendra and Shashi Kapoor. It was released several years after her death.
India Today
11-07-2025
- Health
- India Today
Broken elbow, no NCERT, nights on platform: Bihar girl cracks NEET, bags scholarship
Eighteen-year-old Tabassum Jahan's NEET scorecard tells just one part of the story -- a 550 out of 720. But the months behind that number were filled with pain, uncertainty, and several long nights on a cold railway platform.'We didn't have money to stay in a hotel,' says the Gonda-born girl, recalling the 3-4 nights she spent at the Gorakhpur station with her mother. Around a year before this, she had fallen from a stool while cleaning at home, injuring her elbow blocked nerve in her elbow meant she couldn't even hold a spoon, let alone a pen. "We consulted many doctors over 9-10 months with no improvement," she says. One hospital gave them medicines for 1-2 months, but this meant they didn't have money to return home or afford a hotel."My mother would drop me at the clinic and go do stitching work to earn money. Eventually, an uncle told us about a vaid whose sons assured us I'd recover," Tabassum says.'I'd faint from the injections, but still went every day,' she recovery dragged on for over a year and a half. 'I felt very bad seeing my mother ask people for money. That hurt me more than the injury," she is what drove her to wonder about when she would reach a level wherein she could give to others instead of asking.'MAKE YOUR DIFFICULTIES YOUR STRENGTH'Tabassum's father, a farmer in Gonda district, earns just Rs 6,000 a month."My father doesn't have a permanent job. There were times when he worked as a security guard in malls, sold clothes, and did labour work. Now, he is in the village doing farming," she mother does stitching work to make ends meet. She couldn't finish her BA after marriage, Tabassum shared. 'But she always said one thing -- a girl must be independent.'While other students relied on coaching centres and books, Tabassum had only a phone, YouTube, and her willpower.'I didn't even have all the NCERT books,' she said. The medicines during recovery made her drowsy, but she'd fight the sleep to study. 'I used to read because I couldn't write.' A GAP THAT COULDN'T PUSH AWAY HER DREAMSThe injury caused a 1.5-year academic gap. Most students would've given up. But Tabassum couldn't afford to."When my mother used to ask for money and people disrespected her, it hurt me deeply. For me, being a doctor is a profession that receives the most respect, and I wanted that because people never respected my mother and me due to our situation," she was a major inspiration that pushed her to study harder no matter what. "Others might have better resources, but I had my books, determination, and hard work to help me succeed," she even her family wasn't fully supportive. 'My father would say there's no use in English-medium studies when so many basic things are missing. But my mother always insisted that I should study in a way that there would be an outcome,' she were quick to remind her that studying medicine was expensive. But she quietly carried A SCHOLARSHIP CHANGED HER PATHIn 2024, she scored 621 marks. PhysicsWallah Vidyapeeth offered free offline coaching to students above 600 scores, and she grabbed that opportunity.'I will always be thankful to PhysicsWallah (PW) and Alakh Sir for supporting students like me,' she says. She credits her NEET 2025 selections to being able to study offline for free with PW Vidyapeeth, with the help of their modules and test 2025, she cracked NEET with 550. But her future still hung in the balance --- until PW offered her a scholarship worth Rs 4 lakh. 'Now I can study MBBS without worrying,' she TO GIRLS: 'RECOGNISE YOUR INNER STRENGTH'To other students who feel stuck due to setbacks, her advice is sharp and honest. 'Money might buy you books, but it cannot buy you knowledge -- that comes only through your own effort and study.'She wants girls especially to aim higher. 'It is very important to stay independent, and for that, you must recognise your inner strength," she an elbow that couldn't move to dreams that wouldn't stop -- Tabassum Jahan's journey is proof that if you fight through the worst, the best might just be waiting on the other side.- Ends
Indian Express
22-06-2025
- 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.
