Waheeda Rehman quits films

Waheeda Rehman has taken up voluntary retirement.

The iconic actress, who has an ardent fan in Amitabh Bachchan, explains: "Where are the roles? It's getting tiresome to play mother and grandmother's roles. I don't enjoy it any more. It's unlikely that I'd accept anything else now. Bas, ab bahut ho gaya (enough is enough)."

The screen legend, who began her career in 1955, was last seen in Delhi 6. But now, she claims there's nothing exciting coming her way.

Reminiscing about her switch-over to mother roles, Waheedaji said, "I got the role of a lifetime in Rajinder Singh Bedi's Phagun in 1973. I had to play Jaya Bachchan's mother. That did it for me. I was suddenly flooded with mother's roles. I found myself playing Rajesh Khanna's mother just nine years after I played his leading lady in Khamoshi."

Waheedaji blames the male-dominated film industry for the premature matriarchal status accorded to leading ladies. "The heroines for our established heroes are getting younger and younger. So the heroines, who started their careers with these established heroes, are quickly promoted to senior roles."

Isn't this unfair? Waheedaji says reasonably: "It's the norm in cinema everywhere. Look at Meryl Streep. She contemplates quitting every year and then Hollywood quickly offers her another role. Sadly in our industry, there's no such remedial procedure. Once a heroine is beyond a certain age, she has to graduate to mother's roles or quit."

Waheedaji had sold off her farm in Bangalore a few years ago to settle permanently in Mumbai, where she lives with her son and daughter.

"I'm happy to be doing other things. My days are full and I have no regrets," she signs off, and ends the career of one of the greatest actresses ever.

http://www.rediff.com/movies/report/waheeda-rehman-quits-films/20121030.htm

I found myself playing Rajesh Khanna's mother just nine years after I played his leading lady in Khamoshi."😲

She'd left the industry a long time ago. What is she talking about quitting and all? I don't even remember seeing her on screen all that much. If she thinks appearing in movies every now and then still counts as being active in the industry, she needs a reality check.

it been yrs since she retired and now she is making it official 😆

Originally posted by: _NaughtyBoy_

it been yrs since she retired and now she is making it official 😆

Well that's like saying Mamta Kulkarni returns to India, only to announce her retirement. 😆

Nope her last film was Delhi 6. How sad that people nowadays don't have any ounce of respect for seniors. No wonder she's leaving.

Originally posted by: *Aryan*

Nope her last film was Delhi 6. How sad that people nowadays don't have any ounce of respect for seniors. No wonder she's leaving.

Agree

Instead of giving countless chance to wooden actresses ,who don't even know the meaning of acting and having two expression all the time, they should cast real actresses. Bollywood is always biased towards actress.

Actually it reminded me more of Helen's scene in Heroine. That was the highlight of the movie.

never liked this waheeda woman! quack quack all the time