Waheeda Rehman at 88: From Kaagaz Ke Phool to Khamoshi, Her Unforgettable Film Journey
Waheeda Rehman: From Kaagaz Ke Phool to Khamoshi, a Career of Memorable Performances (Image X.com)
By NIRENDRA DEV
Honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2023, versatile actress Waheeda Rehman won her first National Film Award for Best Actress in 1971.
New Delhi, October 2, 2026 — Born in February 1938, Waheeda Rehman is now 88. Her celebrated performances in films such as Khamoshi, Guide and Kaagaz Ke Phool have made her one of the memorable figures of Indian cinema.
Rehman made her film debut with the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi (1955) and rose to prominence through her collaborations with filmmaker Guru Dutt. These included the romantic drama Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962).
She also achieved success with the romantic drama Guide (1965), for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She received the award again for her performance in Neel Kamal (1968), while her roles in Ram Aur Shyam (1967) and Khamoshi (1969) earned her nominations.
For portraying a clan’s woman in the crime drama Reshma Aur Shera (1971), Rehman won the National Film Award for Best Actress.
She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1972 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011. In 1994, she received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. The veteran actress was presented with the 53rd Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award on October 17, 2023, in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema.
Khamoshi: A favourite performance
My favourite Waheeda Rehman film is certainly Khamoshi.
Shot in Calcutta, now Kolkata, the film was based on the Bengali short story Nurse Mitra by noted writer Ashutosh Mukherjee. It was a remake of director Asit Sen’s Bengali film Deep Jwele Jaai (1959), starring Suchitra Sen.
With its tragic and melancholic ending, Khamoshi gave both Suchitra Sen and Waheeda Rehman an opportunity to bring depth to the character of a nurse working in a mental asylum. Their performances went beyond the familiar conventions of screen stardom to give the protagonist a recognisable human presence.
Rehman was known for her humility. She later said that her performance came “nowhere near that of Suchitra Sen in the original”. She credited the director with helping her through difficult scenes. In an interview, she also said she could not match Savitri’s performance in Chivaraku Migiledi (1960) in portraying the character.
Kaagaz Ke Phool: From failure to cult classic
Kaagaz Ke Phool had a different story of its own. The film failed at the box office when it was released in 1959, with its theme failing to find an adequate audience at the time. It was later rediscovered and gained cult status in the 1980s.
Its critical and commercial failure severely affected Guru Dutt and brought his studio close to ruin. Dutt never officially directed another film after it.
The film’s music was composed by S. D. Burman, with lyrics by Kaifi Azmi and Shailendra, who wrote one song. The song Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam remains a classic for its music and poetry, capturing the poignancy of time and human relationships.
Today, Kaagaz Ke Phool features in the syllabi of many film schools and is regarded by many as one of Indian cinema’s finest self-reflexive films.
From Guide to Kabhi Kabhie
Since the early 1970s, Rehman has worked primarily in supporting roles, appearing in films across genres. Her credits include the romantic dramas Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Chandni (1989) and Lamhe (1991); the family drama Trishul (1978); the social drama Namkeen (1982); the popular films Namak Halaal (1982) and Mashaal (1984); and the social dramas Rang De Basanti (2006) and Delhi 6 (2009).
Her performance in Yash Chopra’s Kabhi Kabhie, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor, remains another notable entry in her filmography.
Released in February 1976, Kabhi Kabhie earned an estimated Rs 40 million at the box office and became the eighth-highest-grossing Hindi film of that year. The film received 13 nominations at the 24th Filmfare Awards, including Best Film, Best Director for Yash Chopra, Best Actor for Bachchan, Best Actress for Raakhee, Best Supporting Actor for Shashi Kapoor and Best Supporting Actress for Rehman. It won four awards, including Best Music Director for Khayyam, Best Lyricist for Sahir Ludhianvi and Best Male Playback Singer for Mukesh, the latter two for the song Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein.
Rehman played Anjali, Bachchan’s wife, who eventually acknowledges the existence of her daughter Pinky, played by Neetu Singh. When Amit demands to know who Pinky really is, Anjali is forced to reveal that Pinky is her illegitimate daughter.
The role called for restraint and emotional maturity. Rehman’s performance helped give the family drama depth, demonstrating how a supporting character could make a substantial contribution to a film’s emotional impact.
Across a career spanning several decades, Waheeda Rehman has moved between romantic dramas, social films and character-driven stories, leaving behind performances that continue to invite appreciation.
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