Background and career
Sadhana Shivdasani (2 September 1941 – 25 December 2015), known mononymously as Sadhana, was an Indian actress who worked primarily in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the finest actresses from the Golden Age of Hindi Cinema, she was recognised for her exquisite beauty, understated acting style and distinctive screen presence. She was also regarded as one of the earliest female style icons of Hindi cinema, having popularised several fashion trends during the 1960s, including the hairstyle that came to be known as the “Sadhana Cut” and the fitted salwar kameez she wore in Waqt.
Sadhana rose to prominence as one of the leading actresses of the 1960s, appearing in a diverse range of romantic, dramatic, musical and suspense films. Her notable films of the decade included Love in Simla (1960), Hum Dono (1961), Asli-Naqli (1962), Mere Mehboob (1963), Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Waqt (1965), Mera Saaya (1966) and Intaquam (1969).
Her collaborations with director Raj Khosla in the suspense films Woh Kaun Thi?, Mera Saaya and Anita led to her being popularly known as the “Mystery Girl”.
Sadhana also achieved a substantial following outside India. During visits to Europe and Africa, she was greeted by large crowds of admirers; in London, a prominent magazine dubbed her the “Dramatic Actress of the East” and compared her with Elizabeth Taylor, while her visit to Nairobi was marked by crowds of cheering fans along the route from the airport to her hotel.
She also participated in national causes, joining fellow film personalities in collecting donations for the National Defence Fund in Bombay in 1963. In 1965. She visited the Indian Army troop stationed at the Nastachun Pass, Kashmir in the year 1965, in order to boost their morale, following the Indo-Pak War. This place was later renamed as Sadhana Pass in her honour. She further contributed to the Chelmsford Defence Fund later that year.
She began her screen career as a child performer in Shree 420 (1955) and made her film debut in the Sindhi film Abana (1958). Her breakthrough as a leading actress came with Love in Simla (1960). She was credited as the director of her final film, Geeta Mera Naam (1974), in which she also starred. After a career spanning nearly two decades, she largely withdrew from the film industry during the 1970s.
Sadhana received Filmfare Award nominations for Woh Kaun Thi? and Waqt and was honoured with the IIFA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. She was also posthumously honoured by the Sindhi community at the Sindhi Film Festival and Award Ceremony in Delhi, in recognition of her contribution to Indian cinema and Sindhi cultural heritage. Her films, acting style and influence on fashion have continued to feature in retrospectives of Hindi cinema and popular culture.
