Sadhana worked in about 30 films during her film career, although she did not receive any award for acting.
In the 60s and 70s of Hindi cinema, an actress emerged who carved a special place in the hearts of the audience with her beauty, acting, and style. Her name was Sadhana Shivdasani. Once, her films were hits and her hairstyle became a trend across the country, but in the final phase of her life, she had to face illness, financial hardship, and loneliness.
Sadhana was born on September 2, 1941, into a Sindhi family in Karachi, British India. After the partition in 1947, her family moved to India and settled in Mumbai. Since childhood, Sadhana wanted to become an actress. At the age of about 14, she got the opportunity to work in Raj Kapoor’s film ‘Shree 420’, where she appeared as a background dancer in the song ‘Mud Mud Ke’.
After this, Sadhana got a role in India’s first Sindhi film, ‘Abana’. This film was released in 1958. It is said that she received a fee of only 1 rupee for this film. This small fee eventually became the beginning of her great cinematic journey.
‘Love in Simla’ changed her fortune
Sadhana got her big break with the 1960 film ‘Love in Simla’. Directed by R.K. Nayyar, she played the lead role in this film opposite Joy Mukherjee. The film was a success, and Sadhana became a star overnight.
Her fringe hairstyle in the film became so popular that it later came to be known as the ‘Sadhana cut’. Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, this look was widely adopted by common women as well. Sadhana is also credited with popularizing the trend of the churidar salwar kameez.
After this, Sadhana worked in films like ‘Parakh’, ‘Hum Dono’, ‘Man-Mauji’, ‘Ek Musafir Ek Hasina’, ‘Mere Mehboob’, and ‘Intaqam’. In the 1960s, 19 of her films were released, out of which 11 were hits, making her a major star of Hindi cinema.
Fell in love with the director, married in 1966
Sadhana fell in love with director R.K. Nayyar on the sets of ‘Love in Simla’. The two got married in 1966. Sadhana continued to work in films even after her marriage. However, in later years, her life became surrounded by difficulties.
In the late 1960s, Sadhana began struggling with hyperthyroidism. Due to the treatment, she had to distance herself from films, and many big projects slipped out of her hands. Later, she made a comeback with films like ‘Intaqam’ and ‘Ek Phool Do Mali’, but her film offers dwindled in the 1970s.
She also tried her hand at direction in 1974 with ‘Geeta Mera Naam’. Gradually, she distanced herself from films and public life.
Loneliness increased after husband’s death
R.K. Nayyar passed away in 1995. The couple had no children. After her husband’s passing, Sadhana became very lonely. Her health also continued to deteriorate. Due to issues like eye problems and thyroid, she rarely stepped out of her house.
However, her final years were also surrounded by legal disputes. Three cases related to Sadhana came to light. One of these cases was filed by Yusuf Lakdawala, the landlord of her building in Santa Cruz. Another case was filed by Sadhana herself against him, alleging harassment. Following this, a defamation case related to the dispute also emerged.
At that time, Sadhana was struggling with financial and physical hardships. It was becoming difficult for her to bear the medical and legal expenses. She also appealed for help, but she did not receive the expected support.
An old picture of Waheeda Rehman, Helen, and Sadhana.
In later years, her contemporaries like Waheeda Rehman, Nanda, Asha Parekh, and Helen remained close to her and provided emotional support. Despite this, Sadhana’s final years were spent in great loneliness. Sadhana passed away on December 25, 2015, in a Mumbai hospital following an illness.
