Shashikala, also known as Shashikala Om Prakash Saigal, is an acclaimed Indian film and television actress. She has been more prominent in supporting roles and featured as the same in more than 100 films. She was popular for her convincing portrayals of flighty and feisty bubbly women. Sometimes she also appeared in the roles of vamps and garnered appreciations for the same.
Early Life of Shashikala
Shashikala was born in the year 1933 as Shashikala Jawalkar in Solapur, Maharashtra to a Marathi-speaking Jawalkar family. She is one of her six siblings. Shashikala was actively involved in dancing, singing, and acting on stage since the tender age of 5 and has performed since then in many towns of Solapur district. In her pre teens her father became bankrupt and their family moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) and Shashikala"s family thought that she could find work in the film industry. Their initial days in Bombay saw much hardship and Shashikala had to wander through studios in search of work. She got minor works till she met Noor Jehan who was reigning on the silver screen during that time.
Career of Shashikala
Shashikala"s career in the Hindi film industry gained a little momentum when she met Noor Jehan and the latter"s husband named Shaukat offered Shashikala a small role in a qawwali scene for his movie Zeenat. Her struggle continued and she began getting small roles in movies of filmmakers Amiya Chakravarti, P. N. Arora and others. She acted in V. Shantaram"s Teen Batti Char Rasta and a few more films. In the year 1959 she starred in Bimal Roy"s Sujata. In 1962 she featured in Tarachand Barjatya"s Arati alongside Pradeep Kumar, Ashok Kumar and Meena Kumari. In the movie she essayed a negative role and her performance was lauded by the critics. Subsequently Shashikala started receiving numerous offers for supporting roles. As a supporting actress her prominent films include Khubsoorat, Waqt, Gumrah, Ayi Milan Ki Bela, Phool Aur Patthar, Anupama and Jangalee. She has been seen in supporting roles with almost all the leading actresses of that era like Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Sharmila Tagore, Nutan, Padmini and Meena Kumari.
In the later phase of her career Shashikala shifted to the roles of sister or mother-in-law. Asha Bhosle has often done playback singing for Shashikala and the three popular songs featured on the actress viz. "Jindagi Me Pyar Karna Sikhle", "Bheegi Bheegi Faza" and "Sheeshe Se Pee" were sung by Asha Bhosle. Shashikala has also enacted in a few television serials like Son Pari in Star Plus, Dil Deke Dekho in Star Plus, Apnaapan in Zee TV and Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai in Sony. She has also been a part of Bollywood flicks Chori Chori, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Baadshah, Pardesi Babu and Mother "98.
Achievements of Shashikala
Shashikala has earned a number of awards and nominations for her performances in Bollywood flicks. She won Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award in 1962 for the film Aarti. In the following year she won the same award for her role in Gumrah. She also won Best Supporting Actress Award (Hindi) at the Bengal Film Journalists" Association Awards for Aarti, Gumrah and Rahgir in the years 1963, 1964 and 1970 respectively. She also received Padma Shri award in 2007 for her contributions in the Indian Cinema. She was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the V. Shantaram Awards in 2009.