RIP Vidya Sinha: Best films of the actor who was the face of progressive middle-class in 70s Bollywood
RIP Vidya Sinha: Here’s a look at the best films of the actor, most popularly known for Rajnigandha (1974) and Chhoti Si Baat (1976).
Veteran actor Vidya Sinha, who had been suffering from lung and heart disorders, has died at 71. Vidya was rushed to the hospital last week after she complained of breathlessness. Best remembered for her roles in Basu Chatterjee’s romances such as Rajnigandha (1974) and Chhoti Si Baat (1976), her last notable appearance on the silver screen was in Salman Khan’s 2011 release, Bodyguard.
Vidya began her career in showbiz with modelling, which was where she was spotted by Chatterjee. She was also crowned Miss Bombay. Her first film - Raja Kaka (1974) opposite Kiran Kumar - came after marriage. Basu Chatterjee’s low-budget film Rajnigandha proved to be her breakout film. Here, we look at her four best films:
Rajnigandha (1974)
One of the most popular films of Vidya’s career, Basu Chatterjee’s Rajnigandha was centred around the character of Deepa, a Delhi girl wooed and almost equally impressed by two men. Amol Palekar and Dinesh Thakur essayed the roles of the two men. The film was based on Manu Bhandari’s short story Yahi Sach Hai. Rajnigandha won the Filmfare award for the Best Picture, popular picture and the critics award. Rajnigandha was recently remade in Bengali as Hothat Shedin.
Chhoti Si Baat (1975)
Loosely based on the 1960 British movie School for Scoundrels, the film had Vidya essaying the role of young office-going Mumbai girl who becomes the object of two men’s desires. They were played by Amol Palekar and Asrani. The film became proved to be a box office hit.
Pati Patni Aur Woh (1978)
BR Chopra’s film had Vidya in a comic role. Vidya’s performance added nuances to the narrative of the film that also featured Ranjeeta.
Mukti
Vidya played the wife of a man (played by Shashi Kapoor) accused of molestation, who takes upon the responsibility of caring for their daughter and brings her up single-handedly.
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