Mala Sinha – the charming actress of bollywood.
Mala Sinha had a different identity in bollywood films, and she is probably the only actress from the north-eastern India who had been successful both in bollywood films and Bengali cinema. She acted in successful films opposite Raj Kapoor in Phir subah hogi, Parvarish, etc.In Phir Subah Hogi, she had given elegant lips in the songs sung by Asha which were composed by Khaiyyam including songs like “woh subah kabhi to ayegi”, “phir na kije meri gustaq nigahon ka gila”, etc. The duet songs became hit due to passionate singing by Mukesh for Raj Kapoor.
Mala Sinha also acted in successful films opposite Biswajeet including Do Kaliyan, Night in London, etc. Night in London was shot in London and Mala Sinha contributed with her Nepalese style of performance in the crime thriller. There were hit songs like “nazar na lag jaye” composed by LP and sung by Rafi.
Mal Sinha had provided hits opposite Shammi Kapoor in the film Dil Tera Diwana, and Dev Anand in Love Marriage, Maya. She gave lips in hit duet songs sung by Lata and Rafi in these films including “tasveer teri dil me”, “dil tera diwana ho sanam”, “dheere dheere chal”. Shankar Jaikishan and Salil Chowdhury composed the songs for these films and they had become landmark hits.
Mala Sinha also acted in hit films opposite Dharmender including Ankhen, Bharen Phir Ayegi, Neela Akash, etc. In Baharen Phir bhi Ayegi, she was the elder sister of Tanuja and both the sisters fell in love with Dharmender, an employer in her firm. It was a venture of Guru Dutt, which he could not complete and died. She had played the historical character Jahan-ara, in the film Jahan –ara, opposite Bharat Bhushan. The excellent poetry and ghazals composed in the film by Madan Mohan, and sung by Rafi, Lata and Suman Kalyanpur, were given adequate expression by Mala Sinha and Bharat Bhushan including “baad muddat ke yeh ghari ayi”, “kisiki yaad me apnako hai bhulaye hue”. With a number of hit films under her belt Mala Sinha acted in hit Bengali films of Uttam Kumar, including Bandhu, Khelaghar, Putrabadhu, Saharer Itikatha, etc. She even provided dynamic performance in Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s epic literature Abhaya Srikanto, where she played the role of Abhaya. She was indispensable in the 50s and 60s both in bollywood films and Bengali cinema and even today when films like Himalay ki god me, or Haryali aur rasta are shown in TV channels she is appreciated along with other stars like Manoj Kumar.
By: Rumi Chatterji.
