Aruna Irani’s denial of Mehmood’s pivotal role in her life & career is endemic

I don’t know if living in denial is a survival instinct in our film industry. But a majority of the prominent stars live in a state of constant denial about their past relationships, maybe because they feel the past may impinge on their present. Or maybe they just want their past to be whitewashed so that they appear to have no past.

Veteran actress Vyjayanthimala got the brunt of Rishi Kapoor ’s wrath when in her memoirs she dismissed her alleged relationship with Rishi’s father Raj Kapoor during the making of Sangam as mere publicity for the film. Rishi went on a warpath against Vyjayanthimala calling her a liar, and many other things.

It is a fact that almost everyone in Bollywood lies in their memoirs. Sanjay Khan has not even mentioned Zeenat Aman in his memoirs and Jeetendra gives a blank look when Hema Malini is mentioned. You can bet your last rupee that if Mithun Chakraborty wrote his memoirs there would be no mention of Sridevi in it.

A leading filmmaker was offered a chance to do a biopic on Guru Dutt by one of the biggest production houses of Bollywood. When he went to meet Waheeda Rehman about the proposed biopic, she very clearly and precisely denied any personal involvement with the filmmaker. According to her, theirs was a purely professional association. Right, M’aam.

It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that Mehmood was to Aruna Irani what Guru Dutt was allegedly to Waheeda Rehman . When Aruna Irani first went to Mehmood for work, she was an emaciated reed-thin pale shivering girl; from no angle did she seem like a potential star. However, since she came from a very humble background and her father was a stage actor in Gujarati theatre Mehmood decided to play her mentor.

Mehmood groomed her from scratch, taught her the ropes of acting and how to talk walk and emote. The goodhearted comic star personally took Aruna Irani to producers, introducing her as the Next Big Thing. When no one seemed convinced he launched her as a heroine in Bombay To Goa opposite a semi-newcomer named Amitabh Bachchan .

Mehmood was the only producer who believed she could be a leading lady. Every producer offered her the second lead or the vamp’s part. Mehmood repeatedly cast her as the main lead, not only in Bombay To Goa but also Garam Masala (where she played the title role) and Do Phool. Failing to make the grade as a leading lady Aruna became a very popular comic pair with Mehmood throughout the 1970s.

It would be no exaggeration to say Mehmood was the prime architect of Aruna Irani’s career.

Sadly she now blames her long and very fruitful association with Mehmood as a hindrance to her career as a leading lady. In an interview, she is quoted as saying, “I don’t know how that rumour started that Mehmood saab had married me. No producer was ready to work with me. …After I cleared the air and from there I started getting work again. I didn’t bother about playing only heroine roles. I kept on working,”

Let’s get one thing clear: Aruna Irani never had a career as a leading lady. Mehmood was the only one who believed she could fill that slot. Secondly, why would rumours of marriage affect any actress’ career? Mala Sinha, Meena Kumari, Nutan, Sadhana Sharmila Tagore, Vyjanthimala, Hema Malini are some of the topmost actresses of the country who did some of their best work after marriage.

A huge talent, no doubt. But does Aruna Irani really think that being linked with the great Mehmood hampered her career? No one held Guru Dutt against Waheeda Rehman.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

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