Waheeda Rehman recalls her association with her Guide director Vijay Anand on his death anniversary

Kala Bazar
“I first joined Navketan Films in 1960 as a heroine in Kala Bazar (written and directed by Vijay Anand). It was a social film based on how circumstances drive an idealist bus conductor to choose black marketing as a means of survival. I was pitted opposite his brother Dev Anand. Both Chetan Anand and Vijay (pet name Goldie) acted in Kala Bazar.”

Director Vijay
“Vijay was an intense, well-read director who came on the sets with a definite script.I liked his methodical approach. Being an actor, he could extract good performances from his cast. He would, even act out what he expected from us. I played Alka who was in love with her classmate Nand (Vijay). Later when he goes away to London and does not return for a long time, I fall in love with Raghubir (Dev). I remember the scene when Vijay returns from London and meets me. 

He never had the camera on him but shot the entire conversation with his back to the camera. Ultimately, when he faces me he confesses he had fallen in love with his French professor in London and was happy that I was Raghubir’s beloved. 

I doubt if such a scene has been shot in Hindi films even today.  That was Vijay Anand—artistic, uncompromising and having a command in every department of filming. As a director he would never impose his views on me. He didn’t believe in theatricals and wanted me to perform with ease like a normal woman. He picturised the songs Khoya khoya chand, Rimjhim ke tarane and Apni to har aah (Kala Bazar) very well on Dev and me. In this aspect he was Guru Dutt’s true successor though he belonged to a different school all together.

My Guide
“Vijay Anand’s greatest challenge was to film RK Narayan’s Guide in Hindi (1965). He developed the characters of Raju (Dev) and Rosy (Waheeda) brick by brick. Even today the song sequence Aaj Phir jeene ki is a trendsetter. 

Through it Vijay expressed women’s liberation. So were the other songs Piya tose and Mose chal.  He filmed a song without surrendering to the choreographer.

Before shooting the cave scene in Guide I was reluctant to deliver the bold dialogues. I felt shy.  But he coaxed me to perform and controlled me at the right junctures so the scene did not appear melodramatic. 

Similarly, when he made Dev perform the death scene in Guide he brought the best out of him. The film was nominated for the Oscars and won me many awards.  Sadly, after Guide sadly I never worked with him. Maybe his later scripts did not require me.  But whenever we met, we always shared the same warmth.”