We lost her ten years ago. Sadhana Shivdasani, or Sadhana, was an incurable recluse. No parties, no interviews, very few friends (Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh). she passed away quietly on Christmas day December 25 , 2015 at the Hinduja hospital in Mumbai. She lived and died a recluse. Luckily she had a nephew with her when she passed away.
I remember the one time that I managed to interview her, she was reluctant to talk and after a few questions quickly excused herself saying she had to rush to the bank. Sadhana was the ultimate enigma. No wonder director Raj Khosla repeatedly cast her as the mystery woman in Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya and Anita. In the late 1950s and throughout 1960s Sadhana excelled in roles that required a naturalistic approach. This, at a time when Indian mainstream cinema required exaggerated drama. Sadhana preferred to under-act.
Says Sanjay Leela Bhansali, “Sadhanji preferred mellow drama to melodrama. Her performance in films like Bimal Roy’s Parakh, Dev Anand’s Hum Dono and Raj Khosla’s Woh Kaun Thi was the pinnacle of underplayed acting. I wish I could have worked with her.”
Sadhana began her career in 1960 with the cute quirky love story Love In Simla. It was directed by R K Nayyar who invented her famous ‘Sadhana fringe’ hairstyle . The ‘fringe benefits’ continued for many years, as love blossomed between Sadhana and her director. In the late 1960s health issues (she had a problem with her thyroid glands) impeded her career considerably .
But she bounced back post her illness with a bevy of blockbusters like Aap Aaye Bahaar Ayee, Ek Phool Do Mali , Inteqam and Geeta Mera Naam . The last two were produced by her husband. Geeta Mera Naam was officially directed by Sadhana.
After Geeta Mera Naam Sadhana retired from films to never look back. Sadhana and Nayyar remained married for 34 years . On his death Sadhana was rendered absolutely bereft. Sadhana’s entire universe revolved around her husband . After his death she became a recluse stepping out of her home only for an occasional lunch with her friends Waheeda Rehman and Asha Parekh.
The one time Sadhana spoke to me she had said, “I like to be on my own. I like my own company. I spend my time reading, watching films… no, not my own film. I am thankful for what I have, and even more thankful for what I don’t have. It makes me value my life even more.”
