Personal Details

• 🎂 Date of Birth
• 02 September 1941
• 🌍 Place of Birth
• Karachi, Sind, British India (now Sindh, Pakistan)
• 👨‍👩‍👧 Family
• Father: Shivram Shivdasani
• Mother: Lali Devi
• Spouse: R. K. Nayyar
• Relatives: Hari Shivdasani (Uncle),  Babita (Cousin)

Early Career

• Sadhana Shivdasani's professional journey began with an unexpected opportunity that swiftly propelled her into the limelight.
• 🌸 Early Life
• Sadhana Shivdasani was born as Nagma Shivdasani in a Sindhi Hindu family. She was the only child of her parents, Shivram Shivdasani and Lali Devi. Her father, who was a great admirer of the Bengali actress-dancer Sadhana Bose, renamed his daughter Sadhana when she was just five years old.
• 🏠 Migration & Schooling
• During the Partition of India, Sadhana’s family migrated from Karachi and settled in Bombay (now Mumbai). Her mother initially home-schooled her until the age of 8, after which she joined Auxilium Convent School, Wadala for her formal education.
• 🎓 Higher Studies & Struggles
• After completing her schooling, Sadhana pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree at Jai Hind College. During her college days, she actively participated in several stage plays, showcasing her early interest in acting.
• However, financial difficulties struck the family, and to support them, Sadhana began working as a typist in Colaba. She managed a tough routine—attending college in the mornings and working in the afternoons. Unfortunately, she could not complete her degree, but soon her passion for cinema took over.
• 🌟 Inspiration
• From her childhood, Sadhana dreamed of becoming a film actress. She often looked up to Nutan, who was her role model and inspiration to step into the world of films.

Career Journey

• Sadhana Shivdasani a celebrated Indian actress, captivated audiences with her iconic "Sadhana cut" hairstyle and remarkable performances, leaving an indelible mark on Bollywood's golden era.
• 🎬 Early Career
• Sadhana aspired to be an actress since childhood. In 1955, she appeared as a chorus girl in the song "Mur mur ke na dekh mur mur ke" in Raj Kapoor's Shree 420. At the age of 15, producers who had seen her perform in a college play cast her in India's first Sindhi film, Abaana (1958), where she played the role of Sheila Ramani's younger sister. For this role, she was paid Re 1.
• A photograph of Sadhana during the promotional shoot of Abaana appeared in the movie magazine Screen, catching the attention of Sashadhar Mukherjee, a leading Hindi cinema producer. She joined Mukherjee's acting school along with her debut co-star Joy Mukherjee, Sashadhar’s son. The film was directed by R. K. Nayyar, who also created Sadhana’s iconic hairstyle, the “Sadhana cut,” inspired by Audrey Hepburn.
• Under the Filmalaya Productions banner, she made her mainstream debut in the 1960 romantic film Love in Simla alongside Joy Mukherjee. The film was a box office hit and listed among the top 10 films of 1960. During this period, she also worked under the same banner in Ek Musafir Ek Haseena.
• 🌟 Stardom
• Following Love in Simla, acclaimed director Bimal Roy cast Sadhana in Parakh, a satirical film on Indian democracy, where she played a simple village girl. The film was a semi-hit and is remembered for Lata Mangeshkar’s song “O Sajna Barkha Bahar Aai.”
• In 1961, she starred opposite Dev Anand in Hum Dono, which was later colourized and re-released in 2011. The duet "Abhi na jaao chhodkar" from the film is considered one of Bollywood’s most romantic songs by Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In 1962, she again collaborated with Dev Anand in Asli-Naqli and worked with director Raj Khosla on Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, beginning their famous suspense thriller trilogy.
• Sadhana’s first technicolour film was Mere Mehboob (1963), directed by H. S. Rawail, which became a blockbuster and ranked among the top 5 films of the 1960s. In 1964, she played a double role in the suspense thriller Woh Kaun Thi?, opposite Manoj Kumar, earning her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. She further solidified her reputation as Bollywood’s “Mystery Girl” with Raj Khosla’s Mera Saaya (1966) and Anita (1967). Mera Saaya became a superhit, and her performance in the song "Jhumka Gira Re," choreographed by Saroj Khan, became legendary.
• Sadhana received her second Filmfare Best Actress nomination for Waqt (1965), directed by Yash Chopra. She stood out in Bollywood’s first ensemble cast and popularized the tight churidar-kurta fashion. Other notable films from the 1960s include Rajkumar (1964), Dulha Dulhan (1964), Gaban (1966), and Budtameez (1966).
• 🏁 End of Acting Career
• Sadhana faced thyroid-related health issues and sought treatment in Boston. After returning to India, she starred in successful films such as Intaquam (1969), Ek Phool Do Mali (1969), Aap Aye Bahaar Ayee (1971), Ishq Par Zor Nahin (1970), Dil Daulat Duniya (1972), and Geeta Mera Naam (1974).
• In Geeta Mera Naam, she not only played the lead role but also directed the film, produced by her husband. The movie performed “above average” at the box office and featured Saroj Khan’s first independent choreography. Following this, Sadhana retired from acting to avoid side or character roles. Later, she and her husband formed a production company and produced Pati Parmeshwar (1989), starring Dimple Kapadia.
• 🏆 Legacy
• Sadhana is regarded as one of Hindi cinema’s most remarkable actors. In 2011, Rediff.com ranked her the eighth-greatest actress of all time, and in 2022, Outlook India included her in the "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list. During the 1960s, she was one of the highest-paid actresses and appeared in Box Office India’s “Top Actresses” list five times, topping twice (1965–1966).
• 👗 Fashion Icon
• Sadhana introduced the fringe hairstyle to Indian cinema in Love in Simla, suggested by R. K. Nayyar. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, the fringe became a major fashion trend in the 1960s and is still known as the “Sadhana cut.” She is also credited with popularizing the tight churidar-kurta, transforming the traditional loose salwar-kameez style in Waqt.
• Her influence continues, with actresses like Deepika Padukone and Bipasha Basu paying tribute to her iconic style in later films. In 2014, Sadhana made a rare public appearance at a fashion show supporting cancer and AIDS patients, escorted by her relative, actor Ranbir Kapoor.
• 🎬 Filmography
• Sadhana made her first on-screen appearance as a chorus girl in the song "Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh" in Raj Kapoor's Shree 420 (1955). She then appeared in India’s first Sindhi film, Abana (1958), before making her debut as a lead actress in Love in Simla (1960), portraying Sonia. During the same period, she appeared in Parakh as Seema. In 1961, she starred in Hum Dono as Mita. The following year, she appeared in Prem Patra as Kavita Kapoor, Man Mauji as Rani, Ek Musafir Ek Hasina as Asha, and Asli-Naqli as Renu.
• In 1963, Sadhana played Husna Banu Changezi in the technicolour film Mere Mehboob, also contributing as a playback singer. She gained further recognition in 1964 with a double role as Sandhya and her twin in Woh Kaun Thi?, and also starred as Princess Sangeeta in Rajkumar and in Dulha Dulhan as Rekha/Chanda. She had a role in the unreleased film Picnic the same year.
• In 1965, she played Meena Mittal in Waqt and Usha in Arzoo. The following year, she appeared in Mera Saaya as Geeta/Raina (Nisha) in a double role, Gaban as Jalpa, and Budtameez as Shanta. In 1967, she starred in the suspense thriller Anita in a dual role as Anita/Maya.
• Her later films included Sachaai (1969) as Shobha Dayal, Intaquam (1969) as Reeta Mehra, and Ek Phool Do Mali (1969) as Somna. In 1970, she appeared in Ishq Par Zor Nahin as Sushma Rai, followed by Aap Aye Bahaar Ayee (1971) as Neena Bakshi, Dil Daulat Duniya (1972) as Roopa, and a special appearance in Hum Sub Chor Hain (1973).
• In 1974, Sadhana played multiple roles in her directorial venture Geeta Mera Naam as Kavita/Neeta/Geeta, and also starred in Chhote Sarkar as Radhika. Her later appearances included Vandana (1975) as Rekha, Amaanat (1977) as Suchitra, and Mehfil (1981) in a double role as Shalini/Ratnabai. Her final film, Ulfat Ki Nayee Manzeelein, was released in 1994 after a delayed release, where she played the titular character Sadhana.

Achievements and Milestones

• Here's a list of awards received by Sadhana Shivdasani:
• IIFA Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002