I remember seeing her in many old films playing the mother's role clad in crisp cotton, chiffon and silk sarees depending on the role, but always looking elegant and classy! She had central roles in many films even if it was a mother's role and especially in films like ‘Waqt’ where her screen hubby Balraj Sahni serenaded her with the song 'A meri zohra jabeen tujhe maalum nahin ...tujhpe kurbaan meri jaan meri jaan " while she happily smiled and blushed!

There were many other films where she played mother to Leading ladies like Asha Parekh ( Mere Sanam), Vyjayantimala ( Sangam) and so on! People also remember her as Kajol’s Grandmother in the box office hit ' Dilwale Dulhaniya le jayenge'. But the fact is that Achala Sachdev began her career playing celluloid mother to heroes older than her, when she was in her twenties and her son was barely a year old!

Early Days of the ' young ' mother

Achala Sachdev was a refugee from Pakistan and began her career as an announcer with the All India Radio in Srinagar, also lending her voice for plays. She used to earn Rs 45 for each play and it was considered a big sum those days! She was invited to act on stage by a close friend and a few film personalities who saw the play liked her performance and complimented her.

One of the film producers who had seen her play offered her a mother’s role since Zohra Sehgal who was supposed to have played the role had gone on a tour with the Prithvi theater and the sets already readied for the shot would go waste! Achala agreed to do the role since money which was being offered, Rs 1500/ per day, was irresistible to her at that stage. It seemed like a lottery to her.

The film was Kashmir and had actor Arun in the lead , who is actor Govinda’s father. Achala was barely 21 years old and had to play the mother's role to Arun and other two actors who were all older than her. According to her, in her first scene she had to fall down the stairs with grief after hearing her son’s death and weep profusely, which she did without much effort and the flood gates remained open ever since.

Horror of Partition on Achala Sachdev

Achala felt that she was best suited to play emotional roles and she attributed her sensitivity to the horrors of one of the worst tragedies of our times – the partition! During those dark days their Muslim friends sheltered them from the rioters in Lahore, which was her birth place. Finally she and her family was forced to leave Lahore on August 11th 1947 and it took them three days to reach Delhi evading the rioters and when she reached Delhi she was horrified to see the carnage there which left a permanent impact on her. She says this is the reason why she is able to cry very easily, since people are normally moved to tears by something unbearably beautiful or when you are extremely hurt!

For her being alive and the hope of a different, more peaceful life gave something to look forward to and she began her career with a positive note promising herself to leave her past completely behind her! It may not have been easy but it goes to show the courage and determination she had even if she was just in her twenties.

Etched in Time

Achala did many films in the late fifties, sixties and some of them very prominent ones like Naukri, Adalat, Nazrana, Jhoola, Dil ek mandir, Haqueeqat, Mere Sanam, Arzoo and Sangam where she played the role of Vyjayantimala’s mother.

But people remember her for her role in Waqt. B.R Chopras film ‘Waqt’ was a landmark film in Achala Sachdev’s career and her role will always remain a memorable one. It also established her credibility as an actress. In one of her interviews she said – “ To this day people call me Zohrajabeen and no actress can ask for a better complement and to be remembered thus is indeed an honor“.

Apparently on the day the film had its premier Nargis and Sunil Dutt who had come to see the film were thoroughly impressed by her role and Nargis told her that other actresses should learn how to blush looking at her and the way she had done for the song! Coming from an accomplished actress like Nargis it was quite a compliment for Achala Sachdev. She felt that it was a perfect role as a loved and loving wife and mother which she thoroughly enjoyed doing! She also had the greatest respect, affection and regard for Balraj Sahni as a person and an actor , who she felt was one of the best actors of Hindi cinema.

Reaching Stagnation point

This happens in an actor's life and unless they rediscover themselves they may sink without a sound. Achala though never short of work had reached a point where work did not seem as challenging or interesting. She had acted in more than 200 films in which, according to her she played some good roles, some mediocre and more often than not the ever suffering mothers role, wearing the same stereotyped clothes and speaking more or less the same dialogues.

According to her, it was like eating stale food every day, but since she had no choice and because of the circumstances where her husband was jobless at that stage being a foreign national unable to work in India, and she needed the money. So, she accepted everything that came her way and in the bargain she had to compromise. That she did by playing mother to three generations of actors! Later of course things got better with her husband earning and being able to support her, but by then acting had become part of her life.

Although her performances were always appreciated by the audience, she was also hopelessly typecast. It seems she would console herself at one stage with the thought that she was not there to make a career in films and would leave sooner or later after having made enough money ! This is something most people tend to do and remain in films till the end and that’s what Achala Sachdev finally did.

There was a stage in her life when she felt that she was not doing anything new or worthwhile and her other desires like taking care of her home, husband, son and also the desire to have a bigger family were taking a back seat. She also felt that she was compromising all the time – waiting for the bigger stars, sometimes even waiting for horses and extras if they were working in another set! The more demand for a star , the more money and more success and everything else seemed unimportant and for her this was always an issue since she never compromised on her basic values!

According to her punctuality is not important in the film world. All the big stars would come late and this was almost a status symbol showing how busy the star is and how others are prepared to wait for him or her. All these issues began to make Achala Sachdev feel that it is better to move away from the arc lights and after two decades of working in films she decided to quit, She began to concentrate on her family, home and son.

On The Comeback Trail

Achala Sachdev was married to a British national Clifford Douglas Peters who passed away in 2002 in Pune.

Achala Sachdev was a favorite with the Chopras’ and she had featured in many of their films including Waqt. So after more than 2o years it was natural for her to make her comeback with one of their films. She set the ball rolling by playing Kajol’s grandmother in the film Dilwale Dulhaniya le jayenge.

Apparently, Yash Chopra would always tell her that she was lucky for his films so when she was invited to act in the film she just could not say no. She was facing the camera after several years, her last film being Chandani! But when she started shooting, she had the feeling that the film would break all records which it did! She even told the film makers that she would take her payment only after the film celebrated its golden jubilee.

When this happened Chopra handed her a cheque which showed her how much the Chopra family respected and loved her. Apparently she was flabbergasted when she read the amount, she thought he had put the extra zeroes by mistake. When she asked him about this Chopra told her that he had an enormous amount of respect for her and he could never put a price on her talent!

Achala Sachdev did another film Dahek playing Sonali Bendre’s grandmother and she felt that too was a good meaty role. She had many special memories of that film and her experience with the unit people and the artistes involved in that film. She also acted in films like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gam, Na tum jano na hum. Later she acted in a couple of serials for Ekta Kapoor where she was given good roles befitting her status. 

Down memory lane

Looking back Achala Sachdev never had any regrets about her career in films. According to her it was not really bad, she travelled all over the world and was richer both materially and through experience. She was well respected and well known by most film goers so she felt that it was definitely worth the trouble. She felt that the 200 films she had acted in , all gave her confidence, joy and educated her in many ways. She moved to Pune in 1998 and was later happy with whatever work and offers she got even though they were few and far between.

She used to love watching serials and films on TV, her favorite serial being Saans which was being telecast in the year 2000. She also had the time after she retired to catch up with some of her own  old films , some of which she never had watched earlier She was very critical of her performances and always felt that she could have done better in all her roles.

She had played mother to Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Nalini Jaywant, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Manoj Kumar, Sadhana, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi kapoor, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan, Shaban Azmi , Jaya Bhaduri, Vyjayanti mala, Asha Parekh, Mala Sinha , Zeenat Aman among others.

Many of her films were box office hits – Azaad, Hum Panchi Ek dal ke, Himalay ke godmein, Sangam,Arzoo,Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Kal aaj aur Kal, Waqt, Andaz, Kora Kagaz, Bandhan, Chandni and of course Dilwale Dulhaniya..

 When she was asked to name her favorite actors – among the older stars she liked Dev Anand, Shashi Kapoor, Raj Kumar and Shammi Kapoor. Among the leading ladies she was fond of Asha Parekh, Nargis and Sadhana. Among the new actors she naturally liked Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol with whom she gave one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema.

Later years

During the last 12 years of her life after the passing away of her husband, the actress lived a lonely life in her two-bedroom Konark Estates apartment near Poona Club, with only a night attendant to take care of her. Achala Sachdev spent most of her time meditating and listening to meditation music and discourses.

She had a son Jyotin through her first marriage which had ended in a divorce during partition. Her son lived in the US and never visited her nor cared for her after she was married for the second time to Clifford.

In the year 2011, Achala Sachdev suffered a fracture in her femur when she was working in her kitchen. She was shifted to the Poona Hospital and Research Centre and was diagnosed with multiple emboli in her brain leading to total paralysis of all four limbs and torso. She was looked after by a physician Vinod Shah, who tended to her for more than seven months. She had known him all through her film career and left her apartment and other assets to him. He in turn made sure that she had a daily help when she was living in her apartment and later in the nursing home during her last days.

She Succumbed to her various ailments at the age of 88 on April 29th 2012.

Conclusions

We find most film actresses leading a lonely life after they are past their prime except a few who remain in the lime light right until the end. Even the greatest of artists of their time with lakhs of fans , at the last days of life remain lonely with no family nor fans to care for them. This was also the case of Achala Sachdev but she at least had someone to care for her during her last days.

Achala Sachdev will always be remembered for her roles and her onscreen personality, a loving and caring wife and mother, which is what she played in most of her films.

(images - wikimedia)