Shashikala, whose roles fans loved to hate, dies

NEW DELHI: Shashikala, who left an indelible imprint playing characters that the audience loved to hate in the Hindi cinema of 1960s and 70s, passed away in Mumbai on Sunday. She was 88.



“We don’t know the exact details of her demise,” BN Tiwari, president, Federation of Western India Cine Employees told PTI while confirming the news of her death.

The Solapur-born actor’s career spanned over six decades and 175 odd films and tv serials. But Shashikala Jawalkar (later Saigal) endured a deprived childhood and struggled for years doing miniscule parts before finding a semblance of foothold with V Shantaram’s Teen Batti Char Raasta (1953) and Surang (1953). It was Bimal Roy’s

Sujata

(1960), where she lip synced with Nutan, ‘Bachpan ke din bhi kya din thhey’, that made people take notice and earned her a first

Filmfare

nomination for “best supporting actress.”

The Sixties was her most fecund and rewarding decade. Oldtimers still remember her running away sandals in hand to avoid her domineering mother (Lalita Pawar) in Junglee (1961) to sing, ‘Nain tumhare mazedar’, with

Anoop Kumar

. Shashikala earned eight

Filmfare nominations

(Sujata, Aayee Milan Ki Bela, Himalay Ki God Mein, Anupama, Neel Kamal and Phool Aur Patthar), including two awards (Aarti and Gumrah) for “best supporting actress”.