Remembering Vidya Sinha

16 Aug 2019

Vidya Sinha, who lit up many of Basu Chatterjees rom-coms in the 1970s and 80s, is no more. She breathed here last in a hospital in Mumbai on August 15, the day of independence for our country and a bizarrely opportune time for Vidya to be freed of the burden of living. The last years were not kind to this pretty quiet dignified actress. The heroines roles had died out long ago and Vidya had switched to television where she played matronly roles in serials like Kkavyanjali, Qubool Hai , and Ishq Ka Rang Safed.But even the serials had stopped coming her way now. In 2009 Vidya had filed a police complaint against her second husband Netaji Bhimrao Sulunkhe accusing him of torture and extortion. She finally won a long court battle with her husband in 2011 for maintenance. Vidya had a short but glorious innings as a leading lady. She was a favourite with two filmmakers B R Chopra and Basu Chatterjee. With the formidable B R Chopra she did the memorable marital comedy Pati Patni Aur Woh as well as the disastrous love triangles Karm and Mukti (both produced by B R Chopra and directed by Chopras son-in-law Raj Tilak). It was Basu Chatterjee who gave Vidya her fleeting fling with fame. Chatterjee introduced Vidya in the arthouse hit Rajnigandha in 1974 and followed it up with another success Chotisi Baat.It is these two films that she is remembered by to this day. Vidya went on to do other films directed by Basuda, like Tumhare Liye (co-starring her Pati Patni Aur Woh leading man Sanjeev Kumar), and Safed Jhooth.But she did not find much success in cinema after her initial spurt of nominal arthouse stardom with her first two films. Curiously she worked with the biggest of directors during her brief spell of stardom in the 1970s, including Gulzar ( Kitaab, Meera ). But somehow her career never took off in a big way.Vidya once confessed she never took her career seriously. The truth is the reverse. Her career never took her seriously. Famous songs filmed on Vidya Balan Rajnigandha Phool Tumhare: Rajniganda Na Jaane Kyon Hota Hai Yun Zindagi Ke Saath: Chotisi Baat Jaan-E-Man Jaan-E-Man Mere Do Nayan: Chotisi Baat Tumhe Dekhti Hoon Toh Lagta Hai Aise: Tumhare Liye Thande Thande Pani Se Nahana Chahiye: Pati Patni Aur Woh