Waheeda Rehman remembers Shyama affectionately. The actress, who played the lead and the second lead in a slew of sonorous musicals in the 1950s and ’60s including Guru Dutt’s Aar Paar, Barsaat Ki Ek Raat and Sharda, passed away on Tuesday. “After Nanda and Sadhana, I have now lost another co-star and dear friend. Shyama was a beautiful woman, but more than that, she was always a good human being — warm and affectionate,” she recalls.
Throughout their careers, the actresses worked together for just one production. Recalling this, Waheeda says, “We worked together in Dil Diya Dard Liya in 1966, where she played my friend. Though the film didn’t do well, it is remembered to this day for its powerful theme.” Waheeda remembers Shyama as a fun co-star. “She was an entertaining friend during the shooting. During those days, we formed working relationships that lasted beyond the work place,” she says.
The Pyaasa actress credits their long-lasting friendship to two main reasons. “One, we lived on the same road, and our homes were opposite to each other. And we would run into one another quite often,” she begins. “Secondly, Shyama was married to the legendary cinematographer Fali Mistry, who worked with me on some of my most well-known works including Guide, Neel Kamal and Prem Pujari. There was a bond with Shyama that went beyond the one film that we did together,” she sadly remembers.
