'Mother Teresa gave me peace of mind'

PUNE: Noted actor Shashikala on Friday said she regretted not getting lead heroine roles during her career, being typecast in negative characters, and did not find peace of mind till she came in contact with Mother Teresa.
She was interacting with the media after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award during the inauguration of the 9th Pune International Film Festival on Thursday.
Born and brought up in Solapur, Shashikala had a tough childhood. "My father was well-known in Solapur, and extremely handsome. But we lived in acute poverty and went without food for days. I used to perform regularly at the local Ganeshotsav programmes and won top prizes. It was my father's friends who, noticing my talent in dance, persuaded him to send me into films," said Shashikala.
The journey to Mumbai was also set with struggles. It was actress-singer Noor Jehan who noticed her seeking work at a studio one day, and had her husband Shaukat sign Shashikala in his film Zeenat,' where the budding actress had to sing a qawwali, which went on to become a landmark song in Indian cinema.
"That's how my journey into Indian cinema began. I was signed on a four-year contract with Shaukatji at a salary of Rs 400. I began to learn Urdu, but I was also upset at not being able to bag lead heroine roles in Hindi films," she said.
Her disappointment aggravated when filmmaker Tarachand Barjatya wished to cast her in a negative supporting role in the film, Arati,' starring heavyweights like Meena Kumari and Ashok Kumar. "The role was of a mean sister-in-law. After much prodding and coaxing from Barjatya, I reluctantly accepted the role because I needed work as well as money. The director promised to pay me Rs 10,000. I would often talk to Ashok Kumar about leaving the industry. He would tell me to wait and watch what this ground-breaking' would do for my career," said Shashikala.
And her vampish role in Arati' did break new ground, as it earned her a Filmfare award for Best Supporting Actress in 1962 and brought in a flood of offers from the moviedom. Shashikala went on to work with celebrated actors like Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Mala Sinha, Meena Kumari, Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor, Ramesh Deo, Mehmood and many more.
Directors like BR Chopra, Bimal Roy and Hrishikesh Mukherjee, among others, also contributed to her career. And the negative roles she immortalised worked to her advantage too. "The dialogues I mouthed further highlighted my roles. Back them lead actresses, who played positive roles, were full-bodied, while vamps were expected to look slim and that led me to look after myself really well, a regimen I follow to this day," said Shashikala.
But despite the wealth and fame her career brought in, she continued to feel the void within. "I would rue the fact that I'm doing negative roles, when in reality I'm not the kind of women I enact. Plus, I had everything, but no peace of mind," she said. And that's when Mother Teresa came to her rescue.
"She allowed me to work for her various initiatives. For nine years, I looked after spastic and challenged children, and people with leprosy, and they all gave me a lot of love. Each time I worked for them, I would experience a surge of energy and saw hope in my life too. Today, I realise I suffered because I wasn't there for my daughters when they needed me," said Shashikala, who now feels having sought redemption.