She filled in the vacuum left behind by the charming Jaya Bhaduri after her marriage in 1973. The audience, longing for the girl-next-door they could identify with, found solace in another FTII graduate, Zarina Wahab. Two films back to back, Chitchor in ’76 and Gharonda in ’77 made Zarina a household name. While one was a rustic romance of mistaken identities, the other was an urban drama where dreams die before turning concrete. The music of both has outlived the creators. Ravindra Jain’s Jab deep jale aana and Jaidev’s Tumhe hona ho continue to be the yardstick in music contests and a throwback at the dusky beauty. Since then Zarina, has had several Hindi and Malayalam blockbusters to her credit. Just as her affair with the camera is an on-going one, so has been her unwavering commitment to husband Aditya Pancholi. While the older woman-younger man romance is the flavour of the season today, the Zarina-Aditya marriage in 1986 was written off by cynics even before the rites were completed. Today, it has survived rain, hail and storm... Read on to know the musings of the perfect wife.
It was when she was in class eight that Zarina Wahab sought admission in the Film Institute of India (FTII). Soon Zarina, hailing from a conservative Muslim family in Vishakapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, found herself amidst those who shared similar dreams. After her stint at the Pune institute, she came to Mumbai and stayed as a paying guest at Mount Mary in Bandra. One day, someone suggested that she meet Dev Anand, who was scouting for young girls to play Zeenat Aman’s sisters in Ishq Ishq Ishq (1974). “I took along my pictures to his office. But Dev saab didn’t see a single photograph. He just said,‘I know you have a photogenic face’. Directors those days had a camera in their eyes,” she beams. The unit headed to Kathmandu for the shoot. “He made us newcomers also stay in the select hotel where Zeenatji and he were put up. He was a man of class,” she says adding, “My first film was with Navketan and so was my last, Hum Naujawan (1985), before I got married.”
A rumour doing the rounds those days was of Raj Kapoor having called Zarina a ‘bhangan’ given her unassuming appearance. She insists it was an endearment of sorts. “Raj saab often visited the FTII. Once, he happened to call me ‘bhangan’. I wondered what he meant. He later explained, ‘I call Waheeda (Rehman) bhangan’. I adore Waheedaji and to be compared to her by Raj Kapoor is the finest compliment of my life,” she gushes. She recalls visiting Waheeda’s house once with filmmaker Raaj Grover. “Out of sheer naiveté, I told Waheedaji, ‘I’m told I resemble you’. She politely agreed. Looking back, I feel embarrassed. I was nowhere near her. I was a kaali kaluti (dark-skinned)!”
Her fascination for Waheeda remains intact even today. “I missed a heartbeat when I saw Waheedaji at the premiere of Padmaavat. I requested her for a picture. Rekha joined us,” she says excitedly showing the photograph in her phone. “When I lived in Bandra, Rekha and I’d go for long walks. She taught me make-up,” she reveals.
Coming back to her career in the ’70s, she being too young to play a heroine, offers didn’t come her way easily. “Also, I knew my aukat (status). I never wanted to be a top heroine. I just wanted to act. Those days we didn’t know what was depression or frustration,” she says. As luck would have it, she was one day called by veteran filmmaker Tarachand Barjatya for an audition. “Only three girls were to audition for the lead. Today even for a small role, there are 300 girls waiting. Now I can understand the depression and frustration that young aspirants go through,” concedes the actor who was then signed for Rajshri Productions’ Chitchor (1976). It was directed by Basu Chatterjee. The film paired her with another natural, Amol Palekar. “People still recognise me as the Gori tera gaon bada pyaara girl,” she smiles. “Basuda was against make-up. He’d order, ‘Make-up nikalo!’ I’d say,
‘Dada, I’m so dark please let me apply some na’,” she laughs.
Another memory she has is of being called unexpectedly by Rajshri Productions for a film. “They gave me a costume asking me to wear it quickly as the set was waiting. When I asked whose clothes they were, nobody was ready to answer. Finally, someone said the actress of the film was giving them trouble. They had already shot 11 reels with her but had to let her go,” she reveals. The film was Gopaal Krishna (1979) opposite Sachin Pilgaonkar. Rajshri Productions became her second home as she went on to do films like Naiyya (1979), Sawan Ko Aane Do (1979), Jazbaat (1980) and Dard-E- Dil (1983) with them. Another film that’s an indispensible part of her repertoire is Bhimsain’s Gharonda, also with Amol Palekar. Spotlighting a love story gone kaput, it touched a chord in urban audiences in search of the elusive home. “Gharonda won me a Filmfare nomination,” she recalls.
Zarina was often compared to Jaya Bhaduri given her flair for earthy and authentic characters. “Those days, I had signed a film contract with a particular producer. Not knowing English well, I didn’t understand the clauses. When I told Jayaji about it, she asked me to get the contract. It mentioned that for five years only a minimum portion of my earnings would come to me. The rest would go to the producer. Jayaji called up the producer and asked him to cancel the contract. I can never forget her gesture,” says Zarina. Her detour in Malayalam films happened by chance. Salil Chowdhary was giving music for a Malayalam film, starring Kamal Haasan. He suggested Zarina’s name to the makers. “On the first day, I couldn’t mouth a single word and started crying. I offered to return the signing moment. Kamalji came to my make-up room and urged me to try for a day. He said, ‘You don’t have to dub. Just give the correct lip movement’. I managed to do it,” she shares. The film was the blockbuster Madanolsavam (1978). She went on to do many Malayalam films including Chamaram, Naayattu, Mr. Michael, Palangal, Sara Varsham, Football and Veedu through the ‘80s. “They’d wrap-up within 15 days and payment would be prompt. I saved money bit by bit and bought a one-bedroom flat in Mount Mary for 83,000,” she singles out the proud moment.
Zarina has had a stellar career in television too with shows like Maayka, Zaara – Pyaar Ki Saugat, Virrudh, Ek Kiran Roshni Ki and Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hai. In the past decade, she was seen in notable roles in films like My Name Is Khan, Rakta Charitra, Agneepath, Vishwapooram and Dil Dhadakne Do, as also Malayalam films like Adaminte Makan Abu and And The Oscar Goes To. She’s looking forward to the release of Dheeraj Pandit’s Junction Varanasi. “Sometimes, I’m called to audition for a particular role. After so many years of work, it sounds disgusting. Earlier, I had to work. Today I want to work. That’s the difference. Work is oxygen for me. I’m a workaholic. Even if I work for 10 days a month, I’m happy,” she explains.
Coming to her personal life, in the ’80s, Nari Hira was producing a video film for Hiba Films titled Kalank Ka Tika (1986). That changed Zarina’s life forever. “Aditya (Pancholi) and I fell in love while shooting it. Within 15 days we got married. My mother was upset as it was an inter-caste marriage. I told her, ‘You’re a devout Muslim. Don’t you believe that nothing happens without God’s will?’ She had no answer to that,” recounts Zarina. “I’m older to Aditya by six years. People said I had ‘phasaoed’ a good-looking boy and that he’d leave me soon. In fact, they said the marriage wouldn’t last a month. Today, it’s been 31 years,” she says with pride. The two have survived a roller-coaster relationship – Aditya’s penchant for flying off the handle being a staple of gossip columns. “His temper has become notorious. His minus point overshadows his plus points. But at heart he’s a child. He’s a clean-hearted person. Till date, I’ve never heard him gossip or badmouth anyone. I love that about him. He helps people without letting anyone know.”
It upsets her when he’s defamed. “Some people have used him like an ATM card.” She deals with rumours of his link-ups with rare detachment. “I don’t question him. I’m not the one to fight. Whatever he does outside is his lookout. Don’t get it home. When he comes home, he’s a good husband, a good father. That’s all that matters,” says she.
Earlier it was said that Aditya could sleep only if he had curled his fingers around Zarina’s bangles. To that she laughs and says, “That was in the beginning. Not anymore. How long can one romance? In fact, now I often sleep in the other room as he keeps watching sports at night.” She appreciates the freedom he’s given her. “He never stops me from working. He doesn’t inquire about my remuneration. He lets me travel and arranges everything for me.” Even today, Zarina often takes off to Hyderabad. “There I enjoy watching Telugu films and taking long walks around the Charminar,” she says.
She’s been a devoted mother to son/actor Sooraj Pancholi and daughter Sana. She’s confident that the cloud over Sooraj will pass away soon and he will emerge clean from the legal ennui. “I want him as a son in all my lifetimes. He’s never raised his voice even once,” she says softly adding, “I guess, God tests his favourites,” she reflects. Right now the small joys matter to her. “Having dinner with the children or taking off to Goa with the family makes me happy. And now my passion for playing Candy Crush has taken over my obsession of cleaning the cupboard,” she breaks into laughter.
