She was born a year before Indian cinema. Film, theatre and television personality Zohra Sehgal, who turns 100 Friday, has grown to be as colourful and entertaining because the industry itself.
Her zest for life, wit and charm, that have continued to inspire generations, remain unmatched, say entertainment industry veterans.
“She is essentially the most incredible woman I'VE ever met and one of the most finest actresses I'VE ever seen,” filmmaker R. Balki, who roped her in to play Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘bindaas’ mom in his 2007 film “Cheeni Kum”, told IANS.
“During the shooting of ‘Cheeni Kum’, we celebrated her birthday at the sets. She shot with us even in 42 degrees at Qutub Minar (in Delhi). She was lively and didn’t care in regards to the heat and went on dancing. She is awesome,” he added.
In 2008, she was named the ‘Laadli of the Century’ by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF)-Laadli Media Awards. And she or he continues to prove how apt the title is for her!
The tireless performer resides in New Delhi along with her daughter, renowned Odissi danseuse Kiran Sehgal. In 1994, she was diagnosed with cancer, but she has fought this off too.
She will celebrate her 100th birthday at home with the daughter and some close friends from the artistic fraternity, said a member of her family.
“She is in fine health barring a couple of age-related complications, which aren't serious, Her spirit continues to be high, together with her enthusiastic, articulate persona,” the source told IANS.
As a youngster, Zohra was dance. Her tryst with showbiz began with dance when she joined Uday Shankar in 1935 and worked with him for a couple of years.
She went directly to teach dance in Almora later, and that’s where she met painter and dancer Kameshwar Sehgal and married him. She later took to dramatics with the Prithvi Theatre in 1945. She worked with them for 14 years, travelling to varied cities, or even joined the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA).
From Prithviraj Kapoor to Raj Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor, she has worked with four generations of Bollywood’s famous Kapoor family – and she or he hasn’t let age dampen her spirit at all.
Zohra, considered a doyen of Indian theatre, has appeared in over 20 films. She is better remembered for her appearances in “Bhaji at the Beach” (1992), “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”, “Bend It Like Beckham” (2002), “Dil Se…” (1998) and “Cheeni Kum” (2007).
Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who directed her in two of his films — “Hum Dil…” and “Saawariya”, had once said: “To call her a livewire is an understatement.”
He couldn’t recall to mind a second name for a specific role in “Saawariya” instead of her.
“It needed to be Zohraji and nobody else. There has been one of those hesitation within me – in any case Zohraji is 94. But all our doubts were dispelled once she came at the sets,” Bhansali had said in the course of the shooting of “Saawariya”.
“Her enthusiasm gets to all of us,” he added.
She was perhaps one of the vital first Indians to have a taste of international entertainment. Within the mid-1960s, she featured in an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Rescue of Pluffles”, after which also anchored a couple of episodes of television series “Padosi”.
While she was in London, she featured in a movie called “The Courtesans of Bombay”, directed by James Ivory in 1982. There has been no in retrospect in international showbiz thereafter.
She went directly to feature in TV series like “The Jewel within the Crown”, “My Beautiful Launderette”, “Tandoori Nights” and “Never Say Die”.
Zohra came back to India within the 1990s. She was around 80 years old then. While many would have thought she would quit the entertainment world, she was not able to call it quits.
On the small screen, she featured in “Amma and Family”, and bagged roles in big banner movies.
When it involves awards, in 1998 she was honoured with the Padma Shri, one among India’s highest civilian honours, following which she received the Kalidas Samman in 2001, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2004. In 2010, she was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan.
Small parts or big, Zohra continues to spread smiles. – IANS
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