‘Mystery Girl’ Sadhana passes away

Mumbai, December 25

Veteran actress Sadhana, who mesmerised audience with her beauty and powerful performances in timeless hits like “Hum Dono”, “Love in Simla” and “Waqt”, died at a hospital in suburban Santacruz after a brief illness today. She was 74 and is survived by her foster daughter.

“She was admitted to the hospital day before yesterday following high fever. She was okay... She had her tea in the morning around 7.30 am and suddenly I got a call from her secretary around 10 am she collapsed and passed away. It was sudden and shocking... We were to meet her at 5 pm today. It’s sad,” said Sadhana’s close associate and advocate Ameet Mehra.

Earlier, reports suggested the actress died at her residence. Her last rites will be held on Saturday at a Santacruz crematorium.

Sadhna Shivdasani, who popularised the fashionable “Sadhana cut”, was one of the top most charming leading ladies of the 1960s and 70s. She acted in several mystery films, earning her the nickname “Mystery Girl”.

Born in Karachi on September 2, 1941, to Sindhi parents, Sadhana was named after her father’s favourite actress-dancer Sadhana Bose. Her father was the brother of actor Hari Shivdasani, father of actress Babita. Sadhana's family migrated to India and settled in Mumbai when she was barely seven.

Sadhana aspired to be an actress since childhood and it was her father who helped her chase her dream of becoming an actress.

She joined filmdom as a child artiste in 1955 with a minor appearance in veteran actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor’s film “Shree 420” in which she played a cameo role in song “Mud mud ke na dekh”.

She joined producer Sashadhar Mukherjee's acting school along with her debutant co-star and Mukherjee's son Joy.

Filmmaker RK Nayyar, whom Sadhana married later, directed the romantic movie “Love in Simla” starring Sadhana and Joy Mukherjee in 1960. The film also introduced the actress's iconic hairstyle.

Her double role in suspense thriller “Woh Kaun Thi”, opposite Manoj Kumar, earned her first Filmfare nomination as Best Actress.

Not only her films but the songs from her movies too are remembered like “Abhi Na Jaao Chodkar”, “Lag Ja Gale”, “Jhumka Gira Re”, “Tu Jaha Jaha Chalega”, “Mera Saaya Sath Hoga” and others.

Sadhana retired from acting nearly four decades ago as she did not want to be cast as a sidekick or do character roles and chose to lead a reclusive life.

She was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the IIFA in 2002 for her contribution to the film industry. — Agencies