Meet Waheeda Rehman: The actress who dared to say "No" to skin exposure

Waheeda Rehman, a classic Indian cinema icon, established her place not only through memorable performances in ‘Pyaasa,’ ‘Neel Kamal,’ ‘Bees Saal Baad,’ ‘Khamoshi,’ ‘Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam,’ ‘Guide,’ ‘CID,’ and ‘Chaudvin Ka Chand,’ but also through her unshakeable principles. In the past, she disclosed how she coped with the industry's expectations of on-screen dressing, underlining that costumes must always be for a purpose other than exposing skin.
Rehman, the top lady of the Golden Age of Bollywood, never compromised on comfort and relevance when it came to costumes. She knew that she had to "look the part" but was adamant about not exposing too much skin, a position that stemmed from her shyness. She carefully selected what she wore and how she wore it, making sure it was in keeping with the character and the story of the film.
One of the most interesting anecdotes she told IndianExpress was from the location of ‘Kala Bazar,’ where she played opposite Dev Anand. The scene involved disrobing her saree to make a rope and rescue Dev Anand's character after he had accidentally fallen off a cliff. Rehman, being uneasy about disrobing in front of the camera, particularly outdoors, at first refused.
"Yeh toh main nahin karoongi. Woh bhi outdoor mein! (I would not do the scene where I have to remove my saree, and that too in the outdoors!), she informed director Vijay Anand.".

Vijay Anand, however, clarified the importance of the scene. It was not about revealing her body, but about revealing her character's resourcefulness and will to save a life. This made sense to Rehman, who thinks that costumes have a purpose and should not just be for exposing skin.
This was not a one-time occurrence. Rehman remembered another incident while shooting ‘Solva Saal,’ when she had an argument with director Raj Khosla over a costume for a scene in which she is soaked. Refusing to wear what he had picked out resulted in a heated argument and a brief suspension of shooting. Despite the director's fury and threats of ruining her career, Rehman held firm, eventually winning the argument with Dev Anand's intervention.
Rehman's career is a testament to her genius and her fortitude to believe in herself and her principles. She showed everyone that success on Bollywood's grand stage doesn't have to cost one's ideals.