Kahan Gaye Woh Log? Options

[Pradeep]

Remember Nimmi of the flirty eyes or pesky Shyama? We all know what happened to Dilip Kumar, Nargis or Nutan, but do you know many of their co-stars are still around, their days of glory a reality they dream about, but not necessarily hanker after? Afsana Ahmed reports.

A FEW years ago, veteran film actor AK Hangal was admitted to Mumbai's Holi Spirit Hospital. After a couple of days there, his shaggy beard required a barber's services. The barber quietly got down to work, but the moment he saw Hangal's clean-shaven look, he remarked, "Filmon main ek actor pehle kaam kartha tha, aap uske jaise dikhte hain." Hangal was quite amused, but not wishing to let the cat out of the bag, he simply raised an eyebrow in in quiry. The barber continued, "Uska naam thha AK Hangal. Woh toh bahut pehle hi guzar gaya." At this point, the actor, who's still seen in some mainstream films, identified himself in his characteristic quaver and rendered the barber speechless!


Shyama

Depending on how you look at it, this episode might bring a smirk to your face or raise a lump in your throat. But at a deeper level, it also makes you think of all those actors and actresses who once brought the screen alive with their performances. Not all were stars of the stature of Dilip Kumar or Madhubala, but nevertheless, their names still evoke nostalgia and a romance of the bygone era, underlining their importance in the history of Hindi cinema. Be it Nimmi, Shyama or Shakila, they came, captured the cinegoer's heart.... and then, faded into oblivion. At the height of their success, any film magazine would have given you the lowdowr on their lives. But today, do you even know where they are and what sort of lives they lead? Or how, after being in the limelight, they are coping with the anonymity that comes with age... We spoke to a few stars of an era gone by and were transported into their unique world these towering celebrities of yesteryear, who bide their time in anonymity today, as they watch life from the sidelines. Nimmi, who made her mark in movies like Barsaat, Amar and Aan in the '50s, remarks, "I've had my share of stardom. I wanted to maintain that mystic aura, that's why I gave up acting at a time when people still wanted to see me on screen. After attaining so much fame, I didn't want to be reduced to playing a character artiste, lingering in the background somewhere. I wouldn't have been able to take that." Her contemporary, Begum Para, who's married to Dilip Kumar's brother, Nasir Khan, agrees. "When you sense that the curtain's going to fall, you should step aside gracefully. This will ensure that the public will always remember you with warmth and yearning," is her belief.


Begum Para

Though not all if these performers attained the legendary status of a Nargis, Vyjayantimala or Geeta Bali, each of them had their own individual style, which drove their fans crazy. "If Meena Kumari was known for her tragic streak and Madhubala for her eternal beauty, toh main kahan kam thhi", laughs Shyama, who made her debut opposite Guru Dutt in Aar Paar, "I, too, captured hearts in no uncertain terms. I was called the 'vivacious' Shyama. My husband, the late Fali Mistry, who was a famous cinematographer/director used to say that after Nutan, I had the most photogenic face in the industry. That's why he fell in love with me." So, does she miss those days? Shyama ponders over the question and then replies, "Even if I do, I can't help it. Bas yaadein reh gayi hain. Sach bataun, I don't step into the hall of my home anymore. It's adorned with pictures of the days when I was young, beautiful and sought-after. That room is full of such memories..." Memories of those days when their lifestyle matched those of the biggest stars, when they owned an entire fleet of Morrises, Austens, Mercedes, Fiats and other imported cars. Sighs Shakila, who acted opposite Dev Anand in CID, "I possessed all these cars then. And today, I only own an Optra! But, of course, with time, lifestyles too change. Petrol ke bhav bhi toh kitne badh gaye hairi."

At one time, leading a life of supreme luxury and now worrying about escalating prices like the common man, one wonders how these ageing actors manage to make ends meet in the autumn of their lives. "I was wise enough to invest my money while I was still active in films. Today, I'm virtually living off the interest," says Begum Para. Many other stars too admit to having invested in their heydays so that they could "lead a humble yet respectful life" later.

AK Hangal, who stays in a one-bedroom rented flat with his 70-year-old son, says, "Having been a freedom fighter, self-respect is ingrained in me. I have always refused help, but today, I somewhere regret not having saved enough." Shyama avers, "Even in those days, we were totally dependant on our remunerations. But then, maybe if we had explored other avenues, we would have found some way of supplementing our income." Nimmi concurs, "Like how Dimple (Kapadia) opened a candle shop and Waheeda (Rehman) got into organic farming. I must say, today's heroes are so smart and intelligent. I wish we were like them, as far as the issue of investments is concerned."

If money is something that most of them seem rueful about, what about loneliness? Do they also miss their coterie of cham-chas, the hallmark of a true star in Bollywood? Answers Begum Para, "Not really. Till a few years ago, Nimmi, Nirupa Roy, Smriti Biswas, Nadira and I used to meet frequently at Mumbai's NSCI Club in Worli, over lunch and drinks. We would meet and gossip to our heart's content. But, I'm 80 now. It gets tiring to go out anywhere. We do keep in touch over the phone, though." Shyama, on the other hand, prefers to call her grandchildren over to spend time with her. While the ladies crave company, the gentlemen prefer solitude. Rajendranath spends his time reading, watching movies and going for long walks. But, the one common passion that they all share is -watching today's films, even as they consider them technically advanced and soulless! "It's sad to see actresses today competing with each other in shedding clothes. A Parineeta or Black is rare. In our days, actresses had so much grace and dignity," says Rajendranath. Begum Para, though, finds today's actresses to be confident and intelligent, while Shyama thinks Madhuri Dixit and Kajol are quite good. And while talking about how she rarely misses an Aamir Khan movie, she says, "Amitabh Bachchan ka jawaab nahin. I thought there was no superstar who could be compared to Yusuf bhai. But Amitabh broke the myth." She also avers that filmmakers today are brilliant, but the current films are only about business, unlike earlier, when they mirrored our art and culture. "Woh zamana nahin raha," she rues.

Exclusive interviews of some forgotten stars coming up in successive posts.