On Waheeda Rehman’s birthday today, padosi Salim Khan talks about the timeless beauty next-door
Khalid Mohamed (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 3, 2018)

It’s a momentous morning for the Gulabo of Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa, the Rosie of Vijay Anand’s Guide and the Gulabi of Satyajit Ray’s Abhijan.

Waheeda Rehman turns 80 today. In a career spanning 65 years and over 80 films in Hindi and other languages, she now epitomises adab and elegance in a show-world where to wear less is more. Yet if La Rehman has ever walked the red carpet on occasion, the paparazzi have still gone heavenzapoppin’.

From all indications there will be no fuss, no fret at her house on the Bandra seafront. A lunch planned with pin-drop secrecy, is to be hosted by her children Sohail and Kashvi. No fuss, no fret. If it was a splashy celebration, you can be sure Waheeda Rehman would have blushed a shade of deep gulabi. Ditto any insta panegyrics in print.

So here’s turning Mumbai Mirror’s mic over to her abiding friend-neighbour-and-philosopher. States Salim Khan, “Waheeda ji and my family have been padosis for 40 years. For some reason, she thinks I’m a sensible guy and drops by or asks me to come over whenever she needs advice. Even before she married (Shashi Rekhi), she asked me for my opinion. I immediately said, ‘Of course you must, stop procrastinating.’”

The Salim-Javed duo of yore wrote only one script — Trishul — in which she featured in a brief role “That’s our loss,” Khan says. “For a while, she did choose to stay mainly at her farmhouse in Bangalore. Yet there has never been a dull moment in her life to date. She keeps busy, does yoga regularly and dotes on her grand-daughter.”

The voluble writer laments that no one compares to the great directors of the 1950s Raj Kapoor, Mehboob Khan, Bimal Roy, V. Shantaram and Guru Dutt, adding, that similarly, no one compares to yesterday’s heroines.

Concludes the neighbour, “Aise acche log ab kahan hain? Bandh ho gaye hain. (Where have all the good people gone?) Without a doubt, Waheeda ji is irreplaceable. Audition all of today’s heroines, you won’t find an equal Rosie.”

Rachana Dubey (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 15, 2014)

Yesteryear superstar Waheeda Rehman has been battling a 'date' issue for many years. The actress was born on February 3, 1938, and not on May 14, 1938, as stated by several popular websites. So, she didn't turn 76 yesterday although she was flooded with phone calls and messages that left her embarrassed.

"I've spent the morning apologising to everyone who called to wish me. I don't mind being wished twice in a year but it does get a bit awkward when people wish on the wrong day" sighs Waheeda, who was born in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.

When asked why she hadn't taken up the matter with any of the websites, she rues, "I'd written to Wikipedia, even phoned and mailed them. But for years they didn't pay any heed. They have corrected it now but it's too late. Several websites and newspapers have my birthday listed as May 14, 1938, and no one cares to check with me. A leading film trade paper last week published the same and when I asked them for a correction they issued a corrigendum but even then they didn't bother to put out the right date."