She is considered as one of the most beautiful and graceful actors ever to set foot in the industry. Veteran actor Waheeda Rehman turns 80 today (February 3) and what better way to pay a tribute to the actor by taking a look back at her beautiful journey.

Waheeda was born on February 3, 1938, in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu. From an early age, the actor was passionate about dancing and went on to learn Bharatnatyam with her sister in Chennai.

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Being dance as a passion doesn’t always mean that someone wants to make a living in the showbiz. Waheeda’s dream was to become a doctor but due to her father’s death and mother’s illness, she abandoned her dreams in order to support her family.

After many struggling years in the industry, the actor landed her first role as an actor in Telugu film Jayasimha and followed it with other memorable films like Rojulu Marayi and Kaalam Maari Pochu.

The actor made a significant mark in the film industry with her acting skills and got the attention of Hindi filmmakers, who were eager to cast her in Hindi films. Her first appearance in a Hindi film was in CID (1955), which was not so impressive. But her breakthrough performance came two years later in Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa.

The film fetched her rave reviews and solidified her status as one of the most beautiful leading ladies of the time in the Hindi film industry. Waheeda followed the success of Pyaasa with films like Kaagaz Ke Phool, Solva Saal, Kohra, Guide, Mujhe Jeene Do, Neel Kamal and Khamoshi.

After making it to big league of finest actors of Bollywood, the actor married Shashi Rekhi in 1974 and the relationship continued till 2000.

The beautiful actress is also known for her working relationship with actors Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna, with whom she delivered some of the biggest hits of her career.

With a shift in the industry and many promising newcomers making a significant mark, Waheeda’s glorious reign never stopped and she turned her attention to more serious and dramatic roles. In the 70s and 80s, Waheeda gave some of her finest performances ever in films like Rashmi Aur Shera, Kabhie Kabhie and Coolie.

Waheeda took a break from acting in 1994 and returned to the silver screen almost after a decade in 2002 with Om Jai Jagadish. Although the film didn’t do well at the box office, Waheeda’s comeback was well received by fans and critics alike.

In a journey of more than six decades, the actor has won numerous awards and honours. Waheeda has won multiple FilmFare awards and was also awarded with Padma Bhushan in 2011.

Waheeda’s journey has been indeed beautiful with an inspiring story to tell. We wish the graceful actor a happy birthday.