Early life[edit]
Sinha was born in a Bengali descent
Nepalese Christian family in
Calcutta. Mala Sinha claimed herself a Bengali descent Nepali many years ago in a T.V. interview
[2] They named her Alda. Her friends at school used to tease her by calling her
Dalda (a brand of vegetable oil), so she changed her name to Mala.
[3] In her childhood she learnt dancing and singing.
Although she was an approved singer of
All India Radio, she has never done playback singing in films. But as a singer she has done stage shows in many languages from 1947 to 1975.
Sinha started her career as child artist in Bengali films Jai Vaishno Devi followed by Shri Krishan Leela, Jog Biyog andDhooli. Noted Bengali director Ardhendu Bose saw her acting in a school play and took permission from her father to cast her as a heroine in his film Roshanara (1952), her cinematic debut.
After acting in a couple of films in Calcutta, Mala had to go to Bombay for a
Bengali film. There she met
Geeta Bali, a noted Bollywood actress, who was charmed by her and introduced her to film director
Kidar Sharma. It was Sharma who cast her as a heroine in his
Rangeen Ratein. Her first Hindi film was
Badshah opposite Pradeep Kumar, then came
Ekadashi, a mythological film. Both failed, but her lead role in Kishore Sahu's
Hamlet, paired opposite Pradeep Kumar, fetched her rave reviews in spite of it failing at the box office.
[4] Films like
Lai Batti (actor Balraj Sahni’s only directorial venture),
Nausherwan-E-Adil where she starred as the fair maiden Marcia in Sohrab Modi’s romance about forbidden love and
Phir Subah Hogi, which was director Ramesh Saigal’s adaptation of Dosteovsky’s
Crime and Punishment established Mala Sinha's reputation as a versatile actress who took the maximum career risks by accepting unconventional roles.
Mala was a singer of some repute and used to sing for
All India Radio; she was not allowed to sing playback (even for herself) in the movies with the lone exception being 1972's
Lalkar.
[5] In the 1950s, she had string of hits opposite
Pradeep Kumar like
Fashion (1957),
Detective (1958),
Duniya Na Mane (1959) though their first two ventures had failed. The films she did with Pradeep Kumar were men-oriented. In 1957, noted Bollywood actor and film director
Guru Dutt (the husband of Geeta Dutt) cast Mala in his film
Pyaasa (1957) in a role originally intended for
Madhubala. Mala gave a memorable performance as the relatively unsympathetic part of an ambitious woman who chooses to marry a rich man (played by actor Rehman) and have a loveless marriage rather than a poor, unsuccessful poet and her impoverished lover (played by Guru Dutt) whom she ditches.
Pyaasa remains to this day a classic in the history of Indian cinema and a turning point for Sinha.
After
Pyaasa her major success were
Phir Subah Hogi(1958) and
Yash Chopra's directorail debut
Dhool Ka Phool (1959) that elevated her into a major dramatic star.
[6] There was no looking back for Sinha then as she was part of many successful movies from 1958 to the early '60s like
Parvarish (1958),
Ujala,
Main Nashe Main Hoon,
Duniya Na Mane,
Love Marriage (1959),
Bewaqoof (1960),
Maya (1961),
Hariyali Aur Rasta and
Dil Tera Deewana (1962),
Anpadh,
Bombay Ka Chor (1962). Critics believe her career best performance was in
Bahurani (1963),
Gumrah,
Gehra Daag,
Apne Huye Paraye and
Jahan Ara.
[7] Apart from pairing with
Pradeep Kumar, her pairing opposite
Raaj Kumar,
Rajendra Kumar,
Biswajit and
Manoj Kumar in woman-oriented films were appreciated by audiences, with her films opposite Biswajit being the most popular. With Raaj Kumar, she gave box office hits like
Phool Bane Angaare,
Maryada and
Karmayogi and opposite
Manoj Kumar, gave commercial successes like
Hariyali Aur Rasta,
Apne Huye Paraye and
Himalaya Ki God Mein. The hits with
Rajendra Kumar were
Devar Bhabhi,
Dhool Ka Phool,
Patang,
Geet and
Lalkar.
The most remarkable feature of career of Mala Sinha was that most of her 1960s and 1970s hits were fueled by her own star power as much as the heroes and most of the times her role was more powerful than the hero. Though she was pitted opposite her seniors like
Raj Kapoor,
Dev Anand,
Kishore Kumar,
Pradeep Kumar and when she acted opposite the emerging stars from late 1950s like
Shammi Kapoor,
Rajendra Kumar and
Raaj Kumar, she made sure her role was as good as theirs. The characters she played stood out and gave her recognition for her performances. Sinha did not mind working with newcomers as long as her role was worth it. She worked with many newcomers of her era including
Manoj Kumar,
Dharmendra,
Rajesh Khanna,
Sunil Dutt,
Sanjay Khan,
Jeetendra and
Amitabh Bachchan. In most of her films from the 1960s, she got the first billing in the credits, even before the heroes, with exceptions being those with
Guru Dutt,
Raj Kapoor,
Dev Anand,
Pradeep Kumar and
Kishore Kumar.
In 1966, Sinha went to Nepal to act in a Nepali film called
Maitighar when the
Nepali film industry was still in its infancy. This was the only Nepali film she did in her career. Her hero in the film was an estate owner called Chidambar Prasad Lohani.
[9] Soon after, Mala Sinha married C. P. Lohani with the blessings of her parents. From the beginning theirs was a long-distance marriage with Lohani based in
Kathmandu to look after his business and Sinha living in Bombay with their daughter Pratibha. She continued acting after her marriage.
[1]
She has been a heroine in many
Bengali films. In Bengali films she has acted with
Uttam Kumar as well as
Kishore Kumar. Her last Bengali film as a main female lead was
Kabita (1977) which featured Ranjit Mullick and
Kamal Hassan; it was a super-hit at the box office. She is noted for her strong women-oriented, glamorous roles fuelled by her equal star power on par with the heroes in films like
Dhool Ka Phool,
Suhag Sindoor,
Anpadh,
Phir Subah Hogi,
Hariyali Aur Rasta,
Bahurani,
Aasra,
Do Kaliyaan,
Gumrah,
Aankhen,
Baharen Phir Bhi Aayengi,
Himalaya Ki God Mein,
Do Kaliyaan,
Holi Aayi Re,
Nai Roshni,
Mere Huzoor,
Kangan,
Archana,
Maryada amongst others.
[10]
Of her rich and varied repertoire, she mentions she is rather partial to
Jahan Ara (1964), a historical movie that
Meena Kumari passed on to her:
"Meenaji turned down the role saying that she would not look the part whereas I would. Given my ignorance of Urdu, I was rather sceptical but Meenaji was convinced that I could do justice to the role. Playing Mumtaz Mahal's eldest daughter entailed gruelling Urdu classes and learning royal tehzeeb. It was hot on the grand sets erected at Ranjit Studio and the film had
Madan Mohan's haunting music. It was a film replete with lyrical moments."
[1]
In the early '90s Madhuri Dixit was promoted as new Mala Sinha in magazines. But, after 1994, she completely withdrew from industry and has given very few public appearances. In
Dhool Ka Phool and B.R. Chopra's
Gumrah, she played the first unwed mother and adulterous wife respectively in Hindi cinema. As she grew older, she gracefully moved on to doing character roles that befitted her age. She was last seen in
Zid (1994).
[11] Though Mala evinced as much interest in her daughter Pratibha's career as her father did in her career, she was unable to achieve the same success for her daughter.
[12]
Personal life[edit]
Sinha married her co-star from Nepali films, Chidambar Prasad Lohani in 1968. The couple met when they worked together in the Nepali film
Maiti Ghar (1966). Lohani had an estate agency business. After her marriage, she used to come and stay in Mumbai to shoot films while her husband stayed in Nepal running his business. She has one daughter from the marriage:
Pratibha Sinha, who is a former Bollywood actress.
[13][14] From the late 1990s, the couple and their daughter have been residing in a bungalow in Bandra, Mumbai.
[15][16]
Mala Sinha in 2012 at the press conference of 'Dadsaheb Phalke Jayanti Awards'
Nominations[edit]
Filmography[edit]
Hindi films[edit]
Bengali films[edit]
- Kabita (1977)
- Shohorer Itikotha (Uttam Kumar )
- Saathihaara (Uttam Kumar)
- Abhaya O Srikanta (1961)
- Kelaghar (1959) (Uttam Kumar)
- Lookochoori (1958)(Kishore Kumar)
- Louha Kapat (1958)
- Bondhu
- Surer Parashay (1957)
- Prithibi Amare Chaay (1957)
- Putrabadhu (1956)
- Dhuli (1954)
- Chitrangadha (1954)
- Jog Biyog (1953)
- Roshanara (1952)
Nepali film[edit]
