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Conversations with Waheeda Rehman
In this highly acclaimed book of conversations with Nasreen Munni Kabir, Waheeda Rehman speaks about her life and work with refreshing honesty, humour and insight: from detailing her personal triumphs and tribulations to giving enthralling accounts of working with cinematic personalities like Guru Dutt, Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. Against all odds, she successfully made a life in cinema on her own terms. Filled with compelling anecdotes and astute observations, this is a riveting slice of film history that provides a rare view of a much-adored and award-winning screen legend.
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2014
9 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Nasreen Munni Kabir
28 books33 followersBorn in India, Nasreen Munni Kabir is a renowned UK-based documentary film-maker who has produced and directed over 80 TV programmes on Hindi cinema for Channel 4 TV, UK, including the series Movie Mahal, In Search of Guru Dutt, Lata in Her Own Voice, and the two-part documentary The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan. She has also directed a profile on Ustad Bismillah Khan and on the making of Bombay Dreams, the musical produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber for BBC Television, UK. She continues to curate Channel 4’s annual Indian film seasons.
Author of 16 books on Hindi cinema, Nasreen has served on the board of the British Film Institute for a six-year term. She enjoys subtitling, and has has subtitled over 500 Hindi films. Her last book was Conversations with Waheeda Rehman. She is most remembered for her Guru Dutt biography, titled Guru Dutt: A Life in Cinema (OUP, 1996). Nasreen continues live in London.
Author of 16 books on Hindi cinema, Nasreen has served on the board of the British Film Institute for a six-year term. She enjoys subtitling, and has has subtitled over 500 Hindi films. Her last book was Conversations with Waheeda Rehman. She is most remembered for her Guru Dutt biography, titled Guru Dutt: A Life in Cinema (OUP, 1996). Nasreen continues live in London.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 11, 2021
A very insightful read. It is always interesting to know what goes behind in the personal life of any stars.
More than Waheedaji, this book intrigued me about Gurudutt Saab. I think I will go in to some search mode and read everything about him.
More than Waheedaji, this book intrigued me about Gurudutt Saab. I think I will go in to some search mode and read everything about him.
May 20, 2016
As a kid, i saw Waheeda Rehman as 'Dai-Jaan' in Lamhe. Over the years, the film kept growing on me, and though I saw d younger Waheedaji, she always remained the graceful, understanding 'Dai-Jaan'. Amazingly she doesnt mention this role in the book.
I picked up this book solely to get a quick light yet meaningful read. It is a wonderful chronicle of her life - a good mix of professional and personal aspects. Her refusal to adopt a screen-name despite being a newcomer, her straight-forward way of dealing, discussions on Gurudutt & co etc, her marriage and living on a farm in Bangalore happily. Beautifully and seamlessly interwoven.
I picked up this book solely to get a quick light yet meaningful read. It is a wonderful chronicle of her life - a good mix of professional and personal aspects. Her refusal to adopt a screen-name despite being a newcomer, her straight-forward way of dealing, discussions on Gurudutt & co etc, her marriage and living on a farm in Bangalore happily. Beautifully and seamlessly interwoven.
December 14, 2014
One of the major reasons any biography or a tell-all tale of a celebrity achieves good book sales is gossip and big revelations. When reading about famous individuals from any field of life, we the readers, mostly due to general human nature, are always eager to know the secrets that they might be hiding or better yet the concealed facts they might be privy to of others in their field. If that is what you want or so desire, then this is certainly not a book for you.
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman brings together two celebrated figures from the Indian film industry; Nasreen Munni Kabir is a journalist avant-garde who has covered different aspects of Bollywood over many decades in the form of books, TV series, and documentaries. The other has to be the most admired film actress ever to have worked in Hindi films, Waheeda Rehman.
Right from the start it is evident that neither the interviewer nor the one being interviewed is using this opportunity to boost sales. The conversations that take place are personal and subdued, and there is a bold line drawn between what is right and what is gossip. Instead, what we get is a better understanding of the woman that is Waheeda Rehman; her childhood and the events that led her to enter the Indian film industry along with great insight into the world that exists just behind what we see on the silver-screen.
Waheeda Rehman, in accordance with her character that we have seen many times on screen and otherwise in public events, comes across as extremely humble and down to earth. There’s a very motherly feel to the way she talks about herself and the people and industry that has been an integral part of her life. It is these personal anecdotes, the moments that defined her life, the photographs from her private collection that she shares, and the openness with which she converses that are both charming and nostalgic at the same time.
While the conversations between Nasreen Munni Kabir and Waheeda Rehman follow a rough timeline, it does jump around from decade to decade and this allows a much needed comparison between the way films were made in the 1950-70s and the way they are made now. Something equally surprising is the knowledge that Ms. Rehman has of the various aspects of film making. At times she is quite descriptive about lighting, music, direction, and of course dance and acting.
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is a book that celebrates cinema though one of its leading ladies. Ms. Rehman manages to showcase films as an art form and not just a medium for entertainment. In doing so, she also expands on a much needed insider’s viewpoint on her co-actors and her life outside of films especially now when not having acted in one for a while she has become an epitome of grace amongst the stars of yesteryears.
Early on in the book Nasreen Munni Kabir states how she convinced Waheeda Rehman to do the book, and that keeping her initial concerns in mind this format of questions and answers would work better than an autobiography. Having read the book, I agree with this and believe that sometimes a back and forth conversation between two learned individuals can tell a lot more than a just book that might end up being one-sided.
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is a brilliant read for any individual remotely interested in primarily the actress, but also for anyone who wants to get a glimpse into the films being made during a time period that is often termed as Indian cinema’s “Golden Period”.
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman brings together two celebrated figures from the Indian film industry; Nasreen Munni Kabir is a journalist avant-garde who has covered different aspects of Bollywood over many decades in the form of books, TV series, and documentaries. The other has to be the most admired film actress ever to have worked in Hindi films, Waheeda Rehman.
Right from the start it is evident that neither the interviewer nor the one being interviewed is using this opportunity to boost sales. The conversations that take place are personal and subdued, and there is a bold line drawn between what is right and what is gossip. Instead, what we get is a better understanding of the woman that is Waheeda Rehman; her childhood and the events that led her to enter the Indian film industry along with great insight into the world that exists just behind what we see on the silver-screen.
Waheeda Rehman, in accordance with her character that we have seen many times on screen and otherwise in public events, comes across as extremely humble and down to earth. There’s a very motherly feel to the way she talks about herself and the people and industry that has been an integral part of her life. It is these personal anecdotes, the moments that defined her life, the photographs from her private collection that she shares, and the openness with which she converses that are both charming and nostalgic at the same time.
While the conversations between Nasreen Munni Kabir and Waheeda Rehman follow a rough timeline, it does jump around from decade to decade and this allows a much needed comparison between the way films were made in the 1950-70s and the way they are made now. Something equally surprising is the knowledge that Ms. Rehman has of the various aspects of film making. At times she is quite descriptive about lighting, music, direction, and of course dance and acting.
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is a book that celebrates cinema though one of its leading ladies. Ms. Rehman manages to showcase films as an art form and not just a medium for entertainment. In doing so, she also expands on a much needed insider’s viewpoint on her co-actors and her life outside of films especially now when not having acted in one for a while she has become an epitome of grace amongst the stars of yesteryears.
Early on in the book Nasreen Munni Kabir states how she convinced Waheeda Rehman to do the book, and that keeping her initial concerns in mind this format of questions and answers would work better than an autobiography. Having read the book, I agree with this and believe that sometimes a back and forth conversation between two learned individuals can tell a lot more than a just book that might end up being one-sided.
Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is a brilliant read for any individual remotely interested in primarily the actress, but also for anyone who wants to get a glimpse into the films being made during a time period that is often termed as Indian cinema’s “Golden Period”.
November 4, 2015
My favorite actress.
September 15, 2017
I grew up watching her on screen in dusty theatres that showed re-runs of black and white films. I sat in awe as her perfection filled the screen, her beauty so natural, her acting so effortless that often, I quite forgot I was only watching a film unfold. Along with Meena Kumari and Nutan, Waheeda Rehman remains one of my favourite heroines of all time. So when I heard that she'd finally agreed to a book about her life, I was thrilled. The author was Nasreen Munni Kabir, whose Conversations with Lata was a wonderful addition to my collection of movie lore. I'd also previously liked her Talking Films, a conversation with Javed Akhtar. So I promptly put the book on 'my list of books to order before I go to India'.
It was already waiting for me when I got to my sister's flat. First impression? 'That's it?' It was a slim volume, and perhaps I'd expected it to be more in the format of the Lata Mangeshkar book. A week later, I was flying down to my hometown to bring my parents back to Bombay with me, so I happily took the book along, and finished it during the flight.
Reading books about celebrities is a bit like voyeurism. You have already seen them on screen, and for many viewers, their impression of the actor in front of them is coloured by the characters he or she essays. Then, we get to read their interviews, and we colour in the spaces left blank by our imaginations. There is an image of that actor in our consciousness, and when we read a book about them, we hope, we expect, to hear the voice we have already been hearing in our brain.
We are eager to know our idols; we want them to speak to us in words that we have already scripted for them. Like our gods, we cast our idols too in our own image. An entire generation of film-goers have placed Waheeda Rehman on a pedestal - she is the elusive Chaudhvin ka Chand, the earthy Gulabo and the defiant Rosie; she is the worldly Hirabai, the principled Chameli and the doomed Shanti.
And so we are eager to know more, not just about Waheeda Rehman, the actress, the person, but also the world she inhabited. Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is a window to that world. Written in the Q&A format that author Nasreen Munni Kabir has perfected through her earlier books (the name of the book argues a singular lack of originality, though), the latter gives the gracious actress a platform to shed some light on her life and career.
And reading this memoir - for make no mistake, that is what it is - brings back memories. Of not just Waheeda, but the cinema of her time. One word of warning, though: if you expect to read about the Guru Dutt-Waheeda Rehman romance, you are going to be disappointed. Neither does she go in for the big reveal - there's no salacious gossip about her co-stars, no big secrets about her own life. The actress, fiercely circumspect always, only lets the veil drop this far, no further. Yet, what she does talk about, she does with an honesty that is endearing. And expected.
Journalists have always known that getting Waheeda Rehman to sit down for an interview is akin to one of the labours of Hercules. Despite her very public career, the actress has maintained the distance between her public persona and her private life. In fact, though she had agreed to talk to Munni Kabir for the latter's 1989 documentary on Guru Dutt, and the book on Lata Mangeshkar in 1990, she had consistently refused the idea of a biography. Who would be interested?
Well, fans of the actress, for one.
And so you are glad that Munni Kabir persisted through the hurdles of 'Memsaab baahargaaon gayi hai.'
From the beginning, where you learn that Waheeda, youngest of four daughters, was asthmatic, to where her father, Mohammed Abdur Rehman, an IAS officer, was castigated for 'allowing' his daughters to learn classical dance even though he was a 'good Muslim', the narrative is interesting. Waheeda is nothing but frank and forthright and, having agreed to talk, chronicles her entry into the big, bad world of films from her first appearance on screen.
And so we hear about how Rojulu Marayi led to that epic meeting with Guru Dutt, and how that led to her move to Bombay. How Akkineni Nageshwara Rao told her gently to face the camera - 'You don't have a bad face.' How the Hindi film industry differed from the South in their way of working. How the song that made her famous - Eruvako sagaro ranno chinnannna - inspired none other than SD Burman. How her insistence on retaining her own name, and on inserting a clause about final veto over costumes did not go down well with director Raj Khosla. (Waheeda comes across as unusually courageous for one so young.) This is not the only time she had a fight with him - a more serious one involved a scene in Solva Saal, where she was given a chiffon sari and sleeveless blouse. When she refused, because of the context of the scene required her to be 'lajwanti' (shy), Raj Khosla erupted. And Waheeda swore never to work with him again. (They eventually made up much later; as she puts it, they both grew up.)
What is even better is the trivia that comes along in the stories' train - some known, others not as much. How Pyaasa was being written when C.I.D was being filmed. How the legendary Zohra Sehgal was the choreographer for Kahin pe nigaahein, kahin pe nishaana. Why Waheeda wore a duppatta for that song. Why the Censor Board had issues with the picturisation of the colour version of the title song of Chaudhvin ka Chand. (They felt Waheeda's eyes were too red and sensual.) How Teesri Kasam was shot near Powai Lake. How Satyajit Ray had initially wanted to film Guide and wanted Waheeda to play Rosie.
How Dev refused to be called 'Devsaab', and how he was a decent flirt. How he had initially hated 'Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai' from Guide.
How Dilip Kumar was a gentle person with a lovely smile.
How Rajendra Kumar always cried in his films, and she once asked him, 'If you cry so much, Rajendraji, how will I cry?'
How it was difficult to understand what the legendary K. Asif wanted in a scene, because he spoke in monosyllables.
How Rehman was very protective of her.
How Lata Mangeshkar once told her 'The orchestra was there to give us singers a rest. Today we singers are there to give the orchestra a rest.'
How Manmohan Desai, when asked about some plot hole in Coolie, would tell her, 'Waheedaji, it's a Manmohan Desai movie - there is no logic. No truth, no reality.'
Or how Rishi Kapoor, having heard about Waheeda's cereal, asked her on the sets of Chandni: 'Arre, Waheedaji, you've started a serial? Where do you do the shooting?'
She talks about the way films were made then, contrasting it with the way they are now, and mentions her landmark films where she played atypical characters. We learn that there were two characters that she would have loved to have played - Radha in Mother India, and Suchitra Sen's role in Mamta. And how her dream role is that of Meryl Streep's in 'The Bridges of Madison County'. She describes how difficult it was to maintain mood and emotion through the numerous retakes, and how she much preferred her silent reaction shots to ones where she had to speak.
No book about Waheeda Rehman would be complete without a mention of Guru Dutt. And she talks about her mentor and friend with affection, and talks about her work with him in landmark films such as Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam and Kaagaz ke Phool. She talks about his trolley shots, and his squabbles with his camera-man VK Murthy, how he listened to the opinion of even his valet (Waheeda had questioned the placement of a song that had been picturised on her in Pyaasa), how he was upset when she and Murthy nattered away in Tamil... she is reticent about her personal relationship with him, but that doesn't feel remiss considering the focus is on their professional collaborations. She does set to rest one controversy, though - Abrar Alvi did direct Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, and Guru Dutt never came on the sets unless he was wanted for that day's shooting, or Alvi wanted his input. He did, however, shoot the songs.
Waheeda is a very good storyteller. Along with her honesty that is apparent when she talks about herself (how her work isn't very good when she does not believe in her character or motivations, for instance), there is a sense of humour that peeps through the narrative. The episode with Raj Kapoor, for instance, while they were shooting Teesri Kasam. On their way back from Bhopal, where they were shooting, the train was stopped by the local students who had not been allowed to watch the shooting. They wanted to see their favourite stars. Raj Kapoor was asked to go and calm the crowd. After he spoke to them, they wanted to meet Waheeda. Taking one look at the crowd, Raj refused. His refusal enraged the crowd which attacked the train. Their insistence infuriated Raj Kapoor so much that he wanted to open the compartment doors and confront them. When the production team couldn't control him, they finally pushed him into the ladies' compartment, where Waheeda, her sister Sayeeda, and her hairdresser had to physically sit on him to stop him from tackling the unruly crowd single-handedly.
She talks about her parents and her sisters, her marriage (to co-star Shashi Rekhy), and her children, and life beyond cinema with a forthrightness and honesty that is remarkable. So also is admirable the way she tackled the vagaries of her life, and how she let herself go grey, much to the shock of her friends and family.
It is these personal recollections and rare photographs that make the book interesting to the layman. Also on record are her close friendships with other actresses - one that has withstood the test of time - Nanda, Asha Parekh, Shammi, Helen, Sadhana. (The launch of this book was postponed because Waheeda Rehman was so overwrought when Nanda died.) Conversations with Waheeda Rehman reveals a side of the reclusive actress, as much as she cares to reveal.
I won't say that I'm completely bowled over by the book. It could have been better. Munni Kabir's questions are sometimes longer than Waheeda's answers. But if you look it less as an 'interview' and more as the titular 'Conversations', it makes more sense. I do wish, however, that the conversations had been more in-depth, and that Munni Kabir had pushed a little to get more details. However, it does paint a picture of Waheeda as she was, and is, and it is a very likable picture indeed.
If you're a fan of the actress, however, or even if not, this is a good addition to your collection of movie lore for an insider's look at the movie industry of the past.
It was already waiting for me when I got to my sister's flat. First impression? 'That's it?' It was a slim volume, and perhaps I'd expected it to be more in the format of the Lata Mangeshkar book. A week later, I was flying down to my hometown to bring my parents back to Bombay with me, so I happily took the book along, and finished it during the flight.
Reading books about celebrities is a bit like voyeurism. You have already seen them on screen, and for many viewers, their impression of the actor in front of them is coloured by the characters he or she essays. Then, we get to read their interviews, and we colour in the spaces left blank by our imaginations. There is an image of that actor in our consciousness, and when we read a book about them, we hope, we expect, to hear the voice we have already been hearing in our brain.
We are eager to know our idols; we want them to speak to us in words that we have already scripted for them. Like our gods, we cast our idols too in our own image. An entire generation of film-goers have placed Waheeda Rehman on a pedestal - she is the elusive Chaudhvin ka Chand, the earthy Gulabo and the defiant Rosie; she is the worldly Hirabai, the principled Chameli and the doomed Shanti.
And so we are eager to know more, not just about Waheeda Rehman, the actress, the person, but also the world she inhabited. Conversations with Waheeda Rehman is a window to that world. Written in the Q&A format that author Nasreen Munni Kabir has perfected through her earlier books (the name of the book argues a singular lack of originality, though), the latter gives the gracious actress a platform to shed some light on her life and career.
And reading this memoir - for make no mistake, that is what it is - brings back memories. Of not just Waheeda, but the cinema of her time. One word of warning, though: if you expect to read about the Guru Dutt-Waheeda Rehman romance, you are going to be disappointed. Neither does she go in for the big reveal - there's no salacious gossip about her co-stars, no big secrets about her own life. The actress, fiercely circumspect always, only lets the veil drop this far, no further. Yet, what she does talk about, she does with an honesty that is endearing. And expected.
Journalists have always known that getting Waheeda Rehman to sit down for an interview is akin to one of the labours of Hercules. Despite her very public career, the actress has maintained the distance between her public persona and her private life. In fact, though she had agreed to talk to Munni Kabir for the latter's 1989 documentary on Guru Dutt, and the book on Lata Mangeshkar in 1990, she had consistently refused the idea of a biography. Who would be interested?
Well, fans of the actress, for one.
And so you are glad that Munni Kabir persisted through the hurdles of 'Memsaab baahargaaon gayi hai.'
From the beginning, where you learn that Waheeda, youngest of four daughters, was asthmatic, to where her father, Mohammed Abdur Rehman, an IAS officer, was castigated for 'allowing' his daughters to learn classical dance even though he was a 'good Muslim', the narrative is interesting. Waheeda is nothing but frank and forthright and, having agreed to talk, chronicles her entry into the big, bad world of films from her first appearance on screen.
And so we hear about how Rojulu Marayi led to that epic meeting with Guru Dutt, and how that led to her move to Bombay. How Akkineni Nageshwara Rao told her gently to face the camera - 'You don't have a bad face.' How the Hindi film industry differed from the South in their way of working. How the song that made her famous - Eruvako sagaro ranno chinnannna - inspired none other than SD Burman. How her insistence on retaining her own name, and on inserting a clause about final veto over costumes did not go down well with director Raj Khosla. (Waheeda comes across as unusually courageous for one so young.) This is not the only time she had a fight with him - a more serious one involved a scene in Solva Saal, where she was given a chiffon sari and sleeveless blouse. When she refused, because of the context of the scene required her to be 'lajwanti' (shy), Raj Khosla erupted. And Waheeda swore never to work with him again. (They eventually made up much later; as she puts it, they both grew up.)
What is even better is the trivia that comes along in the stories' train - some known, others not as much. How Pyaasa was being written when C.I.D was being filmed. How the legendary Zohra Sehgal was the choreographer for Kahin pe nigaahein, kahin pe nishaana. Why Waheeda wore a duppatta for that song. Why the Censor Board had issues with the picturisation of the colour version of the title song of Chaudhvin ka Chand. (They felt Waheeda's eyes were too red and sensual.) How Teesri Kasam was shot near Powai Lake. How Satyajit Ray had initially wanted to film Guide and wanted Waheeda to play Rosie.
How Dev refused to be called 'Devsaab', and how he was a decent flirt. How he had initially hated 'Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai' from Guide.
How Dilip Kumar was a gentle person with a lovely smile.
How Rajendra Kumar always cried in his films, and she once asked him, 'If you cry so much, Rajendraji, how will I cry?'
How it was difficult to understand what the legendary K. Asif wanted in a scene, because he spoke in monosyllables.
How Rehman was very protective of her.
How Lata Mangeshkar once told her 'The orchestra was there to give us singers a rest. Today we singers are there to give the orchestra a rest.'
How Manmohan Desai, when asked about some plot hole in Coolie, would tell her, 'Waheedaji, it's a Manmohan Desai movie - there is no logic. No truth, no reality.'
Or how Rishi Kapoor, having heard about Waheeda's cereal, asked her on the sets of Chandni: 'Arre, Waheedaji, you've started a serial? Where do you do the shooting?'
She talks about the way films were made then, contrasting it with the way they are now, and mentions her landmark films where she played atypical characters. We learn that there were two characters that she would have loved to have played - Radha in Mother India, and Suchitra Sen's role in Mamta. And how her dream role is that of Meryl Streep's in 'The Bridges of Madison County'. She describes how difficult it was to maintain mood and emotion through the numerous retakes, and how she much preferred her silent reaction shots to ones where she had to speak.
No book about Waheeda Rehman would be complete without a mention of Guru Dutt. And she talks about her mentor and friend with affection, and talks about her work with him in landmark films such as Pyaasa, Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam and Kaagaz ke Phool. She talks about his trolley shots, and his squabbles with his camera-man VK Murthy, how he listened to the opinion of even his valet (Waheeda had questioned the placement of a song that had been picturised on her in Pyaasa), how he was upset when she and Murthy nattered away in Tamil... she is reticent about her personal relationship with him, but that doesn't feel remiss considering the focus is on their professional collaborations. She does set to rest one controversy, though - Abrar Alvi did direct Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, and Guru Dutt never came on the sets unless he was wanted for that day's shooting, or Alvi wanted his input. He did, however, shoot the songs.
Waheeda is a very good storyteller. Along with her honesty that is apparent when she talks about herself (how her work isn't very good when she does not believe in her character or motivations, for instance), there is a sense of humour that peeps through the narrative. The episode with Raj Kapoor, for instance, while they were shooting Teesri Kasam. On their way back from Bhopal, where they were shooting, the train was stopped by the local students who had not been allowed to watch the shooting. They wanted to see their favourite stars. Raj Kapoor was asked to go and calm the crowd. After he spoke to them, they wanted to meet Waheeda. Taking one look at the crowd, Raj refused. His refusal enraged the crowd which attacked the train. Their insistence infuriated Raj Kapoor so much that he wanted to open the compartment doors and confront them. When the production team couldn't control him, they finally pushed him into the ladies' compartment, where Waheeda, her sister Sayeeda, and her hairdresser had to physically sit on him to stop him from tackling the unruly crowd single-handedly.
She talks about her parents and her sisters, her marriage (to co-star Shashi Rekhy), and her children, and life beyond cinema with a forthrightness and honesty that is remarkable. So also is admirable the way she tackled the vagaries of her life, and how she let herself go grey, much to the shock of her friends and family.
It is these personal recollections and rare photographs that make the book interesting to the layman. Also on record are her close friendships with other actresses - one that has withstood the test of time - Nanda, Asha Parekh, Shammi, Helen, Sadhana. (The launch of this book was postponed because Waheeda Rehman was so overwrought when Nanda died.) Conversations with Waheeda Rehman reveals a side of the reclusive actress, as much as she cares to reveal.
I won't say that I'm completely bowled over by the book. It could have been better. Munni Kabir's questions are sometimes longer than Waheeda's answers. But if you look it less as an 'interview' and more as the titular 'Conversations', it makes more sense. I do wish, however, that the conversations had been more in-depth, and that Munni Kabir had pushed a little to get more details. However, it does paint a picture of Waheeda as she was, and is, and it is a very likable picture indeed.
If you're a fan of the actress, however, or even if not, this is a good addition to your collection of movie lore for an insider's look at the movie industry of the past.
December 17, 2018
This is an almost biographical book on one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema; someone whom I admire a lot. The book details her relationship and working rapport with two of the greatest actors ever - Guru Dutt and Dev Anand. The book tells us Waheeda was a voracious reader and always carried a book with her.
She first performed a dance in a Telugu movie Rojulu Marayi (days have changed); S. D. Burman copied the song and kept one of the original words - Bambai se aaya hai babu chinnannaa.
She also acted in Abhijan by Satyajit Ray, which was based on Tarashankar Bandopadhyay's novel. Also, I learnt from the book that the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Pearl S. Buck wrote the English screenplay of Guide. Also, thay Guru Dutt had learned dance under Uday Shankar.
Some of her most memorable films include: Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Guide, Teesri Kasam, Kabhi Kabhie, Lamhe and most recently Rang De Basanti.
The book is a must-read for an unabashed Bollywood fan like me. It has everything that our movies have - love, sadness, courage, destiny and most importantly friendship. I could relive for a while that era of movie-making.
She first performed a dance in a Telugu movie Rojulu Marayi (days have changed); S. D. Burman copied the song and kept one of the original words - Bambai se aaya hai babu chinnannaa.
She also acted in Abhijan by Satyajit Ray, which was based on Tarashankar Bandopadhyay's novel. Also, I learnt from the book that the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Pearl S. Buck wrote the English screenplay of Guide. Also, thay Guru Dutt had learned dance under Uday Shankar.
Some of her most memorable films include: Pyaasa, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, Guide, Teesri Kasam, Kabhi Kabhie, Lamhe and most recently Rang De Basanti.
The book is a must-read for an unabashed Bollywood fan like me. It has everything that our movies have - love, sadness, courage, destiny and most importantly friendship. I could relive for a while that era of movie-making.
March 25, 2025
Maybe I'm biased because Waheedaji is my favourite actor or maybe it's just that a 4.5 star rating doesn't seem to be an available option on here, but I give Conversations with Waheeda Rehman 5 out of 5 stars for now. It's not the most engaging or thrilling biography-esque work but it's an insight into film history through the life of one of cinema's greatest talents. NMK is a Guru Dutt fan so it makes sense that much of the questions are focused on him but I would have liked more insight on the directing styles of Sunil Dutt, Vijay Anand (especially Vijay Anand) etc. and more anecdotes about them and the shooting of films like Guide and the Navketan films Waheedaji was a part of in equal proportion.
It's still a very important book and very insightful for old Bollywood and Waheeda Rehman fans like me.
It's still a very important book and very insightful for old Bollywood and Waheeda Rehman fans like me.
August 22, 2017
This book of conversations has some very interesting anecdotes which makes it an interesting read. Waheeda Rehman was a quick learner and had a keen observations. She never compromised and lived the life on her own terms.
November 22, 2024
Just finished the book- fantastic interview with Waheedaji and detailed discussion of her family as well as film industry.
As far as author- a very good writer and detailed interview with Waheeda Rehman.
As far as author- a very good writer and detailed interview with Waheeda Rehman.
April 3, 2019
I enjoyed the conversation between the actress and the author. However I felt a little disappointed as I did not receive a better picture of the actresses herself .
December 27, 2020
I love Waheeda ji even more now. Such a graceful and smart woman, mashallah.
July 3, 2025
NMK is the best thing to happen to Hindi cinema journalism.
November 2, 2016
'কনভার্সেশনস উইথ ওয়াহিদা রেহমান' বইটি আমি দুই বসায় শেষ করেছি। বইটি বায়োগ্রাফি হলেও সাক্ষাৎকারধর্মী। আমি গেল দুই সপ্তাহে তিনটে বায়োগ্রাফি পড়লাম। রবার্ট ডি নিরো, রাজেশ খান্না এবং শশী কাপুর। তবে এই তিনটে বায়োগ্রাফির একজন লেখকও এইসব অভিনেতাদের কোনও মুখোমুখি সাক্ষাৎকার নিতে পারেননি। যার ফলে বায়োগ্রাফিগুলি হয়েছে মুলত বিভিন্ন মানুষের সাক্ষাৎকার এবং বিভিন্ন বই পত্রে ছড়িয়ে ছিটিয়ে থাকা তথ্যের সমষ্টি বিশেষ আর তার সাথে যোগ হয়েছে লেখকের কল্পনার মিশেল। কাজেই ব্যাক্তির ব্যাক্তিগত বিষয় নিয়ে যা বলা হয়েছে তা কতটুকু বিশ্বাসযোগ্য তা প্রশ্নের উর্ধ্বে নয় বলেই মনে হয়েছে।
সেক্ষেত্রে এই বইটি এক উজ্জল ব্যাতিক্রম মনে হল। এই বইতে ওয়াহিদা নিজে যেমন তাঁর জীবন সম্পর্কে অনেক অজানা তথ্য পাঠককে জানিয়েছেন তেমনি এই জীবন জগত সম্পর্কে তাঁর ধ্যান ধারণার একটা স্পষ্ট ছবি যেন মূর্ত হয়ে ফুটে উঠেছে। অভিনয় কৌশলের খুঁটিনাটি, ক্যামেরা মুভমেন্ট, ভয়েস মডুলেশন, আলোক প্রক্ষেপন, অভিনেতা- পরিচালকের সম্পর্ক, সাদাকালো এবং রঙিন চলচ্চিত্রের পার্থক্য, অভিনয়ে নাচের ব্যাবহার, গানের গুরুত্ব- এই সবগুলি বিষয় নিয়ে ওয়াহিদার এক স্বচ্ছ ধারনার সন্ধান পাই আমরা।
কোনও গাল গল্প ওয়াহিদা আমাদের শোনান নি। কোনও সম্পর্কের গভীর গোপন আলাপনের ধারে কাছে দিয়েও তিনি ঘেঁষেন নি। তারকা হিসেবে নয়, একজন অভিনেত্রী তাঁর অভিনয় জীবনের নানান অভিজ্ঞতা আমাদের সাথে শেয়ার করেছেন। তিনি তাঁর জীবনের কথা শুনিয়েছেন একদম আটপৌরে ঢঙে, সহজ সাধারণ ভঙ্গিতে, আমি আপনি যেভাবে কথা বলি সেভাবেই। পর্দায় যতটা উজ্জল দেখি ওয়াহিদাকে, ব্যাক্তি জীবনেও সেই একই মাত্রার সততা বজায় রেখেছেন তিনি। গুরু দত্তকে পুরো সাক্ষাতকারে উনি গুরু দত্তজী বলে সম্বোধন করে সম্মান দেখিয়ে গেছেন, দেব আনন্দ সহ সকল পার্শ্ব অভিনেতাদের প্রতি তিনি শ্রদ্ধার স্বরে কথা বলেছেন, যাঁদের অপছন্দ করেছেন অতীতে, কখনও কোথাও তাঁদের সম্পর্কে বিন্দুমাত্র ক্ষোভ প্রকাশ করেন নি।
ওয়াহিদা বোম্বে আসার আগে দুটি তামিল চলচ্চিত্রে অভিনয় করেছিলেন। তিনি একজন প্রশিক্ষিত নৃত্যশিল্পী ছিলেন। তাঁর বাবা ছিলেন একজন জেলা প্রশাসক, ঠাঁট বাট সব জুটেছিল অল্প বয়সেই আবার কৈশোরে বাবাকে হারানোর পর চার বোন আর মাকে নিয়ে অল্প বয়সেই জীবন যুদ্ধে নেমে পরতে হয়েছিল। কৈশোরে হালকা পাতলা গড়নের ওয়াহিদার হেন অসুখ নেই যা ছিলনা, বেজায় রকমের আ্যলার্জি সমস্যায় ভুগতেন, আ্যজমার সমস্যা তো ছিলই। পড়াশুনায় খুব খারাপ না হলেও নাচটা তাঁরা ছোট দুই বোন ভালই নাচতেন। গুরু দত্তের সাথে তাঁর পরিচয় হয় দক্ষিন ভারতে, তাঁর বাড়ির কাছে। সেখান থেকেই অভিনয়ের প্রস্তাব পান এবং মাকে নিয়ে বোম্বে চলে আসেন। গুরু দত্ত তিনটি ছবির জন্যে সাইন করেন, তবে ওয়াহিদা সাইনিং কপিতে দুটি শর্ত জুড়ে দেন। এক, তাঁর নাম পরিবর্তন করা যাবেনা। দুই, চরিত্রমাফিক তার জন্য নির্বাচিত কোন পোশাক তাঁর পছন্দ না হলে তিনি তা পরবেন না। এই কথা শুনে তাঁর প্রথম চলচ্চিত্রের (সিআইডি) পরিচালক রাজ খোসলার তো আক্কেল গুড়ুম, এই এক নতুন মেয়ে যে কিনা কোনদিন কোন হিন্দি সিনেমায় অভিনয় করেনি, এর কি মেজাজ রে বাবা! শুধু প্রযোজক গুরু দত্তজিই নাকি শুধু শুনছিলেন। মুখে কিছু বলেন নি।
নাসরিন মুন্নি কবির এমন একজন ওয়াহিদাকে আমাদের সামনে নিয়ে এসেছেন যিনি অকপটে তাঁর জীবনের কথা বলেছেন। এক উচ্ছল, প্রানবন্ত সাক্ষাৎকারের মাধ্যমে আমরা ওয়াহিদার জীবন যেন এক লহমায় জেনে নিলাম। তাঁর বাস্তববাদি চিন্তা ভাবনা, তাঁর যাপিত জীবনের নানান সুখ দুঃখ, আনন্দ বেদনার গাঁথা চোখের সামনে যেন ভেসে উঠল।
এই বইতে আমার আক্ষেপের একটি জায়গা হচ্ছে রাজনীতি নিয়ে ওয়াহিদাকে কোনও প্রশ্ন করা হয়নি। নাসরিনের জায়গায় আমি হলে দুটি প্রশ্ন তাঁকে না করে ছাড়তাম না। উপমহাদেশে ধর্মের নামে বিদ্বেষ, হানাহানি এবং দেশভাগের করুণ পরিণতি এবং সীমাহীন দুর্ভোগ নিয়ে তাঁর মতামত কি আর বই থেকে নানান সময় জানতে পারলাম ওয়াহিদ�� বেশ ভালো রকম বইপড়ুয়া ছিলেন। কোন ধরণের বই ওয়াহিদাকে আকৃষ্ট করে। জানা তো হলনা, জানা যাবে কি?
সেক্ষেত্রে এই বইটি এক উজ্জল ব্যাতিক্রম মনে হল। এই বইতে ওয়াহিদা নিজে যেমন তাঁর জীবন সম্পর্কে অনেক অজানা তথ্য পাঠককে জানিয়েছেন তেমনি এই জীবন জগত সম্পর্কে তাঁর ধ্যান ধারণার একটা স্পষ্ট ছবি যেন মূর্ত হয়ে ফুটে উঠেছে। অভিনয় কৌশলের খুঁটিনাটি, ক্যামেরা মুভমেন্ট, ভয়েস মডুলেশন, আলোক প্রক্ষেপন, অভিনেতা- পরিচালকের সম্পর্ক, সাদাকালো এবং রঙিন চলচ্চিত্রের পার্থক্য, অভিনয়ে নাচের ব্যাবহার, গানের গুরুত্ব- এই সবগুলি বিষয় নিয়ে ওয়াহিদার এক স্বচ্ছ ধারনার সন্ধান পাই আমরা।
কোনও গাল গল্প ওয়াহিদা আমাদের শোনান নি। কোনও সম্পর্কের গভীর গোপন আলাপনের ধারে কাছে দিয়েও তিনি ঘেঁষেন নি। তারকা হিসেবে নয়, একজন অভিনেত্রী তাঁর অভিনয় জীবনের নানান অভিজ্ঞতা আমাদের সাথে শেয়ার করেছেন। তিনি তাঁর জীবনের কথা শুনিয়েছেন একদম আটপৌরে ঢঙে, সহজ সাধারণ ভঙ্গিতে, আমি আপনি যেভাবে কথা বলি সেভাবেই। পর্দায় যতটা উজ্জল দেখি ওয়াহিদাকে, ব্যাক্তি জীবনেও সেই একই মাত্রার সততা বজায় রেখেছেন তিনি। গুরু দত্তকে পুরো সাক্ষাতকারে উনি গুরু দত্তজী বলে সম্বোধন করে সম্মান দেখিয়ে গেছেন, দেব আনন্দ সহ সকল পার্শ্ব অভিনেতাদের প্রতি তিনি শ্রদ্ধার স্বরে কথা বলেছেন, যাঁদের অপছন্দ করেছেন অতীতে, কখনও কোথাও তাঁদের সম্পর্কে বিন্দুমাত্র ক্ষোভ প্রকাশ করেন নি।
ওয়াহিদা বোম্বে আসার আগে দুটি তামিল চলচ্চিত্রে অভিনয় করেছিলেন। তিনি একজন প্রশিক্ষিত নৃত্যশিল্পী ছিলেন। তাঁর বাবা ছিলেন একজন জেলা প্রশাসক, ঠাঁট বাট সব জুটেছিল অল্প বয়সেই আবার কৈশোরে বাবাকে হারানোর পর চার বোন আর মাকে নিয়ে অল্প বয়সেই জীবন যুদ্ধে নেমে পরতে হয়েছিল। কৈশোরে হালকা পাতলা গড়নের ওয়াহিদার হেন অসুখ নেই যা ছিলনা, বেজায় রকমের আ্যলার্জি সমস্যায় ভুগতেন, আ্যজমার সমস্যা তো ছিলই। পড়াশুনায় খুব খারাপ না হলেও নাচটা তাঁরা ছোট দুই বোন ভালই নাচতেন। গুরু দত্তের সাথে তাঁর পরিচয় হয় দক্ষিন ভারতে, তাঁর বাড়ির কাছে। সেখান থেকেই অভিনয়ের প্রস্তাব পান এবং মাকে নিয়ে বোম্বে চলে আসেন। গুরু দত্ত তিনটি ছবির জন্যে সাইন করেন, তবে ওয়াহিদা সাইনিং কপিতে দুটি শর্ত জুড়ে দেন। এক, তাঁর নাম পরিবর্তন করা যাবেনা। দুই, চরিত্রমাফিক তার জন্য নির্বাচিত কোন পোশাক তাঁর পছন্দ না হলে তিনি তা পরবেন না। এই কথা শুনে তাঁর প্রথম চলচ্চিত্রের (সিআইডি) পরিচালক রাজ খোসলার তো আক্কেল গুড়ুম, এই এক নতুন মেয়ে যে কিনা কোনদিন কোন হিন্দি সিনেমায় অভিনয় করেনি, এর কি মেজাজ রে বাবা! শুধু প্রযোজক গুরু দত্তজিই নাকি শুধু শুনছিলেন। মুখে কিছু বলেন নি।
নাসরিন মুন্নি কবির এমন একজন ওয়াহিদাকে আমাদের সামনে নিয়ে এসেছেন যিনি অকপটে তাঁর জীবনের কথা বলেছেন। এক উচ্ছল, প্রানবন্ত সাক্ষাৎকারের মাধ্যমে আমরা ওয়াহিদার জীবন যেন এক লহমায় জেনে নিলাম। তাঁর বাস্তববাদি চিন্তা ভাবনা, তাঁর যাপিত জীবনের নানান সুখ দুঃখ, আনন্দ বেদনার গাঁথা চোখের সামনে যেন ভেসে উঠল।
এই বইতে আমার আক্ষেপের একটি জায়গা হচ্ছে রাজনীতি নিয়ে ওয়াহিদাকে কোনও প্রশ্ন করা হয়নি। নাসরিনের জায়গায় আমি হলে দুটি প্রশ্ন তাঁকে না করে ছাড়তাম না। উপমহাদেশে ধর্মের নামে বিদ্বেষ, হানাহানি এবং দেশভাগের করুণ পরিণতি এবং সীমাহীন দুর্ভোগ নিয়ে তাঁর মতামত কি আর বই থেকে নানান সময় জানতে পারলাম ওয়াহিদ�� বেশ ভালো রকম বইপড়ুয়া ছিলেন। কোন ধরণের বই ওয়াহিদাকে আকৃষ্ট করে। জানা তো হলনা, জানা যাবে কি?
June 2, 2014
For an entire generation, which includes me, Waheeda Rehman is the epitome of the kind of woman we want to be like. Fiercely independent, a class apart in her profession, graceful and an enigma. I was very excited when the book was announced simply because it would shed more light on her life.
By the time I finished reading I was a bit conflicted. If you are not a Bollywood buff then the book gives great insights into the life of actress, however if you are like me who loves to read up about Bollywood, there were few things which were new.
If you are looking to pick up this book to know more about the Guru Dutt-Waheeda relationship beyond their work, I have a simple advice for you, don't.
For most parts Rehman is circumspect in the book, especially when it comes to her personal life. This book is not a door into the world of Waheeda Rehman, it is more like a look in through the window. She only let's you see what she wants, nothing more.
My biggest problem with the book, as with previous Kabir's book are her question. Sometimes her questions are like one full page and the answer is two lines. That jars. The idea of the book is to know more about the subject not the knowledge of author about camera angles and shot settings.
So why the 4 stars? Because the book does not demystify Waheeda Rehman but enhances the enigma of the actress. And how can that be bad?
By the time I finished reading I was a bit conflicted. If you are not a Bollywood buff then the book gives great insights into the life of actress, however if you are like me who loves to read up about Bollywood, there were few things which were new.
If you are looking to pick up this book to know more about the Guru Dutt-Waheeda relationship beyond their work, I have a simple advice for you, don't.
For most parts Rehman is circumspect in the book, especially when it comes to her personal life. This book is not a door into the world of Waheeda Rehman, it is more like a look in through the window. She only let's you see what she wants, nothing more.
My biggest problem with the book, as with previous Kabir's book are her question. Sometimes her questions are like one full page and the answer is two lines. That jars. The idea of the book is to know more about the subject not the knowledge of author about camera angles and shot settings.
So why the 4 stars? Because the book does not demystify Waheeda Rehman but enhances the enigma of the actress. And how can that be bad?
August 10, 2016
I read about this book by Nasreen Munni Kabir. The review was wonderful and Waheeda Rehman looked stunning on he cover. Since I am her fan, I bought a e-copy of this book. Everyday for close to 15 days, I read this book during my car journey from home to work. The book has a great flow. The questions are not personal and yet, they are intriguing. Waheeda Rehman's answers were truthful and her persona shines through. I enjoyed reading the book. The book does not reveal any secrets and is not at all juicy. In fact, the book provides the reader an insight into the kind of person Ms. Rehman must be. SHe comes across as a tough, strong, confident and above all, an indepedent person.
The book has some real nice anecdotes and also has her take on some of the newer breed of actors. Read thebook for its flow and to know the kind of person Ms. Rehman is. In fact, after reading the book, I felt I ought to meet this person over coffee. Not for anything else but just to ensure that after meeting her, I would be convinced that I have met yet another fine humanbeing.
The book has some real nice anecdotes and also has her take on some of the newer breed of actors. Read thebook for its flow and to know the kind of person Ms. Rehman is. In fact, after reading the book, I felt I ought to meet this person over coffee. Not for anything else but just to ensure that after meeting her, I would be convinced that I have met yet another fine humanbeing.
July 7, 2014
This is an interesting book. Waheeda Rehman is of course an excellent actress and a graceful dancer. Teesri Kasam and Guide have been some of the most remarkable movies I've had the fortune to watch and its mostly been her presence that has made these movies enjoyable. This book also pretty much rests on her wit, grace and eloquence. The authoress can tend to go into random tangents and gives herself more time in the book instead of prodding Waheeda to talk to us. There is also no organization and the conversation meanders a little. But inspite of that, you can pretty much hear Rosie talking to you out of these pages and that pretty much makes this a great buy.
June 8, 2016
It was interesting.
Waheeda Rehman has been one of my favourite actresses of all times and I had wanted to read this book for a long time.
Finally I did.
I won't say I was disappointed in it but let's just say that it not bring me enough pleasure or satisfaction. I find there to be a lot of repetition in the book and a whole lot about "Pyaasa". It is understandable that the movie was a milestone in Ms Rehman's life but there has to be way more happening in her so many years apart from "Pyaasa".
Though the book sheds light on her professional life a bit, it keeps you in dark where her personal life is concerned. You don't really get to know Waheeda Rehman even after reading this book.
Waheeda Rehman has been one of my favourite actresses of all times and I had wanted to read this book for a long time.
Finally I did.
I won't say I was disappointed in it but let's just say that it not bring me enough pleasure or satisfaction. I find there to be a lot of repetition in the book and a whole lot about "Pyaasa". It is understandable that the movie was a milestone in Ms Rehman's life but there has to be way more happening in her so many years apart from "Pyaasa".
Though the book sheds light on her professional life a bit, it keeps you in dark where her personal life is concerned. You don't really get to know Waheeda Rehman even after reading this book.
July 9, 2015
Waheeda Rehman was someone I was mildly fascinated by before I read this book. Now, I am enamoured by the woman. She is so simple and she has very little to say about a world that is so glorified in our country. She makes the whole deal around her stardom and beauty seem like her job and duty. Intelligent and perceptive, yet aloof -- she is someone I would love to emulate. It's a must-read for film lovers who like knowing of the context behind a film and not just the film itself.
April 6, 2014
just finished reading it and loved it. the author has done a brilliant job of capturing the simplicity, brilliance and independence of waheeda rehman. for anyone who likes to read about films, it's a must read.
May 3, 2014
I have never read any books about movies. which is surprising since I love both of them. this was my first one and I loved it for its simplicity. It was such a magical experience reliving the old days of Indian cinema through the eyes of Waheeda Rehman.
August 28, 2015
Oh, how much I love Waheedaji !
How wonderful the conversations are ! Now its going to make me watch those favorite movies yet again. Not just her, but even inputs by NMK is very apt. Her bits and facts at places, makes it pretty informative about older movies - the golden era of Bollywood.
How wonderful the conversations are ! Now its going to make me watch those favorite movies yet again. Not just her, but even inputs by NMK is very apt. Her bits and facts at places, makes it pretty informative about older movies - the golden era of Bollywood.
July 12, 2016
Such a marvelous book. Came to know so much more about Waheeda, Dev, Raj, Guru and others. Saw some of her personal unseen pics... also, was so happy to know she too enjoys the Golden Age Hollywood movies and those stars!
August 13, 2014
Loved it! Have the greatest respect and admiration for Waheeda Rehman. Have always admired her as an actress. Now I admire her as a person as well.
June 17, 2014
The only problem with this book is its ending,it feels too abrupt.Other than that a wonderful book.
May 3, 2019
Respect & Admiration.
Trigger to read this book was a Waheeda Rahman interview i saw on Youtube. Like in the interview, Waheeda ji come across as a modest & grounded person; her views about relations, movies and other aspects of life are contemporary. This book contain lot of anecdotes & gives an insight into her bollywood journey across 5 decades. After reading her Conservations, my respect & admiration for Waheeda ji has increased many times. 5 stars.
Trigger to read this book was a Waheeda Rahman interview i saw on Youtube. Like in the interview, Waheeda ji come across as a modest & grounded person; her views about relations, movies and other aspects of life are contemporary. This book contain lot of anecdotes & gives an insight into her bollywood journey across 5 decades. After reading her Conservations, my respect & admiration for Waheeda ji has increased many times. 5 stars.
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