Mala Sinha started her career as a child artist in Bengali films – Jai Vaishno Devi. Noted Bengali director Ardhendu Bose saw her acting in a school play and cast her as a heroine in his Bengali film Roshanara (1952), her cinematic debut. Director Kidar Sharma launched her in Rangeen Raatein and in 1957 Guru Dutt cast her as Rehman’s wife in Pyaasa, a turning point in Sinha’s career.
Her next turning point came with Yash Chopra’s directorial debut Dhool Ka Phool that elevated her star position. There was no looking back ever since and a decade later, call it destiny that she went to shoot for a Nepali film Maitighar when the Nepali film and married the hero, an estate owner called Chidambar Prasad Lohani. It was a long-distance marriage and while Lohani was based in Kathmandu, Mala Sinha continued to pursue her career in Mumbai that slowed down post motherhood. Post 80’s Mala Sinha quit movies completely and now spends her time between Nepal and India.
My favourite Mala Sinha memory stems from a song ‘Aap ki nazrone samjha’ so my favourite film of hers will be film Anpadh.