Tribute to Leela Naidu... 1939 - 2009

Upperstall 04 Aug 2009

Leela Naidu was one of the most stunning looking actresses in Indian cinema and was even named by Vogue magazine as one of the most beautiful women in the world.
Born in 1939 to nuclear physicist Ramaiah Naidu and his French wife, Naidu won the Femina Miss India when still in her teens.
Naidu made her debut in Hindi cinema with Hrishidas Anuradha (1960). The film saw her play the title role of a successful singer who marries an idealistic doctor, Balraj Sahni, moves to the village where he works and soon feels bored and stifled in her marriage. Her former lover, Abhi Bhattacharya, has an accident while passing through her village and on meeting her, he ignites memories of her past and convinces her that she should return to singing. However, when another doctor recognises her sacrifice as more praiseworthy than that of her husbands idealism and genius, she recognises his true worth and decides to stay on with him. The film won the Presidents Award and is remembered till date for Ravi Shankars brilliant music including Jaane Kaise Sapnon Mein Kho Gayi Akhiyan and Kaise Din Beete sung by Lata Mangeshkar. Considering it was her first film, Naidu acquitted herself reasonably well even though it has to be said that it is Balraj Sahnis understated performance that is the mainstay of the film.

After a gap of almost 3 years, Naidu returned to the silver screen with Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar ke (1963) and The Householder (1963). The former is an interesting though a much diluted adaptation of the famous Nanavati Murder Case (1959), responsible for the abolishment of the jury system in India with Naidu playing the adulterous wife. Though the film borrows elements from the famous case, they are treated in Hindi film fashion. So unlike the real life case, Naidu isnt really an adulteress (how could she ever be?), of course her drink is spiked for nasty Rehman to score, but she still has to feel defiled and guilty and be the suffering martyr andsurprise surprise - the actual killer is not really Sunil Dutt! Though Naidu looks stunning, her performance, unfortunately, is wooden and stilted showing she still had a long way to go as an actress.
However, she fared much better in the latter, the first ever Merchant-Ivory collaboration. The film, based on a script by Ruth Prawar Jhabvala on her own short story, The Householder, saw Naidu play a woman caught in an arranged marriage, who unable to bear the interference of her mother-in-law in her married life, goes back to her family. It is only in absense that she and her husband, Shashi Kapoor realize they have fallen in love with each other. Naidu not only looks as beautiful as ever in the film, she gives perhaps her best screen performance ever. The film is stunningly photographed on location in Delhi by Subrata Mitra and set the Merchant Ivory team on their way. Naidu was later to do a cameo in their 1969 film, The Guru.
Naidus last stint with mainstream Hindi cinema was Baghi (1964) a costume extravaganza co-starring Pradeep Kumar, Vijaya Choudhury and Mumtaz. She did make another film, Ummeed co-starring Ashok Kumar, Joy Mukherjee and Nanda but the film was never released.
Naidu quit films when she married Bikki Oberoi, the son of Mohan Singh Oberoi, the founder of the Oberoi Chain of Hotels. However, the marriage did not work out and after the divorce, she lost the custody of her twin daughters. She then married poet Dom Moraes. But this marriage too didnt work out.
Naidu took refuge in philosopher J Krishnamurthi after she lost custody of her daughters. On finding solace in Krishnamurthi, Naidu recalled in an interview, I was very unhappy. I spoke to him and he heard me out with that vast listening he was capable of. Then, he told me I would have to learn to live with it. It was a remark I would not have accepted from anyone, not even my parents. But I accepted it from him. I remember crying. At another time he remarked that, if all I wanted was to be as sensitive as possible, then I was sitting on a volcano - and I would have to live with grief.
Naidu made a return to acting with Shyam Benegals Trikaal (1985) and was used most effectively by Benegal as the Matriarch of a Goan Christian family coming to terms with the death of her husband even as the Indian Army is set to take over Portuguese administered Goa in 1961. Her last film appearance came seven years later in the Pradip Krishen directed Electric Moon (1992). Few women have aged as graciously as Naidu who just seemed to have got even more beautiful and dignified as she grew older.
Naidu died of lung failure in Mumbai on July 28, 2009, following a prolonged illness. She was 69.

(Special Thanks to Shekhar Gupta for sending this article to me)

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Lata
• ji
• Patrani
• 1956

[juliandream]

beautiful song from Patrani. Was Leela in that film? I somehow don't remember that.

[sqhzaidi]

What an enlightening upload. Absolutely remarkable.

Thanks Mirza ji.

[naseerhussain40]

Mirza sahib, your choice is exquisit and beyond immiginations .Thanks for making us happy.

[eddie21y21]

Leela Naidu was a 'beautiful woman'... in appearance and in inner self.. her life story seems tragic.. but most of lives here on earth are tragedy of one kind or the other... as noted in concluding part of the article above.. "if all one wanted was to be as sensitive as possible, then one is sitting on volcano and one would have to live with grief" .. and "one has to learn to live with it" .. glad that such teachings could do away with her miseries .. we still love Leena Naidu...

[moalmighty]

It's A Treat to watch this video. I just love it.

[manudhokai]

Her role in Anuradha was stunning - her Hindi was "different" but opposite Balaraj Sahani she was a new and fresh face. With Pandit Ravi Shankar's music whole thing was on the top of the world

Thanks Mirza Saheb

[cornelius386]

Very fine actress and beautiful. I think her mother was French if I'm not mistaken.

[CrazyWindwalker]

May she rest in peace !! A true timeless beauty. Even in her later years, she was absolutely fabuluous as Donna Maria Souzo Schuarez in Shyam Benegal's "Trikaal". I don't think any other actress could have done justice to that role as Leela Naidu. Thanks Mirza.

[1010sharad]

Mirza saheb  you have a great collection and even greater taste.many thanx.

[rosemist9]

Leela Naidu, What a stunning beauty? Leela was a class apart from normal film actresses, she was a mixture of glorious and royale. I admire, adore and appreciate her flawless personality.

I pray god to give her second chance take birth in our country again

Dr. BMR Reddy