Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman is celebrating her 88th birthday on February 3, 2026. Best known for her iconic roles in films like Kaagaz Ke Phool, Pyaasa, and Guide, she has delivered several memorable hits throughout her acting career.
On her special day, let us take a look at how she began her acting journey and landed her first lead role opposite legendary Indian actor and politician NT Rama Rao.
How did Waheeda Rehman start her acting journey?
In an old interview, when Waheeda Rehman was asked where she was from and about her father, she said, “I am from Madras. My father was a Municipal Commissioner.” She added that she loved singing and dancing since childhood and later started learning dance formally. As she was from South India, where Bharatanatyam is a popular dance form, she trained in Bharatanatyam.
Veteran actress Waheeda Rehman also mentioned that she used to perform on stage as a hobby, and it was through these stage performances that she was introduced to films.
Talking about her film journey, she said, “Achanak ek din mere walid ke dost, jo Telugu films produce karte the, ghar aaye aur kaha ki agar aap ijazat dein, toh hum Waheeda ko film mein kaam dena chahte hain. Is par mere walid sahab ne kaha ki Waheeda abhi bahut chhoti hai, uski padhai abhi poori nahi hui hai, aur is profession ke baare mein kabhi socha hi nahi gaya.”
She continued, “Phir bhi woh log kaafi insist karte rahe. Us waqt main lagbhag 13–14 saal ki thi. Kuch time baad mere walid ka intekaal ho gaya, aur phir wahi dost meri walida ke paas aaye aur dobara request ki. Unhone kaha, ‘Shayad aap acting se ghabra rahi hain, lekin yeh sirf ek dance hai. Jo dance woh stage par karti hai, wahi agar films mein karegi, toh koi harz nahi hoga’.”
She then requested her mother, “Ek film karne dijiye. Stage par dance karna ho ya film mein dance karna, kya farq padta hai? Badi mushkil se meri walida maan gayi.”
How Waheeda Rehman landed a lead role opposite NT Rama Rao?
It must be noted that she made her first appearance in a Telugu film as a dancer. She also added that, fortunately, the film performed very well. The 1955 film was titled Rojulu Marayi, directed by Tapi Chanakya, and featured Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Sowcar Janaki in key roles.
After the success of her first film, Waheeda Rehman got her first break as a lead actress in the 1955 film Jayasimha, opposite actor and politician NT Rama Rao. She later met Guru Dutt in Hyderabad, moved to Mumbai, and went on to become a legendary actress.
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