Part of several evergreen films, Sadhana no more

Sadhana, one of the famous actor of yesteryear known for her fringe-hairstyle, who has been part of several evergreen films like “Shree 420”, “Hum Dono”, “Love in Shimla”, “Waqt” and “Woh Kaun Thi” and “Mera Saaya” passed away in Mumbai, on Friday.

Sh was 74. After a brief illness, she breathed her last in Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital and Research Centre. The last rites will be held on Saturday.

Last year, she was detected with a tumour in her mouth that was cancerous and underwent a surgery for the same. Her husband, director Ram Krishna Nayyar had passed away in 1995.

To bid a final farewell, visitors like actors Waheeda Rehman and Helen visited her home to pay tributes.

Born Sadhana Shivdasani in 1941 in a Sindhi family, she was named after her father’s favourite actor Sadhona Bose. Her father and actor Hari Shivdasani were brothers. Hari’s daughter is actress Babita Kapoor, the mother of Kareena and Karishma.

Aspiring to become an actor since childhood, she even played a chorus girl in the song “Mur Mur ke na dekh mur mur ke” in Raj Kapoor’s Shree 420.

 She first appeared in a lead role in 1958 in “Abaana”, a Sindhi film. The big hit came in from “Love in Shimla” in which she starred opposite Joy Mukherjee, the son of legendary Shashadar Mukherjee, a known talent spotter.

In 1961 release “Hum Dono” she played the love interest of Dev Anand. This black-and-white film was colourised and re-released in 2011.

In 1962, she was again paired with Dev Anand in “Asli-Naqli” directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.

The same year saw director-screenwriter Raj Khosla cast her opposite Joy in his musical film “Ek Musafir Ek Hasina”. Khosla again worked with Sadhana to make their famous suspense thriller trilogy.

In 1963, Sadhana played her first role in a technicolour film “Mere Mehboob” directed by H S Rawail.

The mystery girl
In 1964, she played her remarkable double role in the first of the suspense-thriller trilogy, “Woh Kaun Thi?.” It was a white-sari-clad performance opposite Manoj Kumar.

Raj Khosla cast her in two more successful mystery films, “Mera Saaya” (1966) and “Anita” (1967) thus making her famous as the “mystery girl”.

Her other notable works in 1960s include, performances in “Parakh”, “Ek Musafir Ek Hasina”, “Gaban”, “Manmauji” (1962), “Ek Phool Do Mali”, “Rajkumar” (1964 film), “Dulha Dulhan”, “Asli-Naqli”, “Hum Dono” (1961 film), “Budtameez” and “Mere Mehboob”. She also did two comedy films — “Manmauji” opposite Kishore Kumar and later “Dil Daulat Duniya” with Rajesh Khnana.

Sadhana had health issues due to thyroid, which she got treated at a hospital in Boston hence did not sign films between 1967 to 1968. After returning from the US, she starred in the successful movies “Intaquam” (1969), “Ek Phool Do Mali” (1969), “Aap Aye Bahar Ayee” (1971), “Dil Daulat Duniya” (1972) and “Geeta Mera Naam” (1974), which she also directed.

Her hairstyle came to be known as “Sadhana-cut” and was a hit at one point of time, among the girls, particularly during the late sixties and early seventies.  It is said that it was inspired from Hollywood actor Audrey Hepburn — and also covered her large forehead. She is perhaps the first actor of Bollywood, on whom a hairstyle has been named.