Sheela Ramani
TSW Citation
Many Sindhi actors and actresses in Bollywood have gained immense fame and established their own unique place and identity in the Hindi film industry, thanks to their exceptional talent. When we think of the Bollywood Sindhis of 1950s and 1960s, one prominent Sindhi name that comes to mind is Sheela Ramani. She was known as the epitome of perfection when it came to portraying the role of a dancer. Just like iconic haircut became the defining feature and specific identity of Sindhi heroine Sadhana, Sheela Ramani was renowned for her meticulous attention to her appearance. It is said that one had to wait at least six months to see Sheela in the same outfit. Sheela Kewalramani, born on 2nd March 1932 in Karachi, Sindh, was the daughter of F.M. Kewalramani. However, in the list of artists, her name was always written as Sheela Ramani. Sheela Ramani was the lead lady of India’s first Sindhi Film Abana.
Sheela Ramani: Biography – Film Career
Acting and films were not unfamiliar to Sheela Ramani, as her mother’s family had connections in the film industry. After the partition of 1947, her mother’s family chose to live in Pakistan and embraced Islam. Despite Sheela Ramani residing in India and maintaining a strong faith in Hinduism, her relationship with her mother’s family in Pakistan remained intact and affectionate. Around a decade after the partition and having established her career in Hindi films, Sheela visited Pakistan in 1956. The purpose of her visit was to play the lead role in the Pakistani film “Anokhi,” released in 1959. She was actually suggested and invited by her maternal uncle, Lachhu Alias Sheikh Latif, a well-known Pakistani film producer for this film. With this visit Sheela Ramani created record of being the first Indian actress from the post-Independence era to play a role in a Pakistani film.
Earlier to making a career in Bollywood films, in 1948 Sheela Ramani was crowned as Miss Mussoorie and in 1950 she become Miss Shimala. Badnam (1952) with co stars like Shyama and Balraj Sahani was her first film. In same year Ananth Math, another film of Sheela was release. Every one was impressed with her talent. These films brought a lot of praise for her but still she was deprived of fame. However famous film Producer V Shantaram, noticed her talent and offered two films Surang and Teen Batti Char Raaste. This film Teen Batti Char Raaste was based on relations between family members of different casts and Sheela had played the role of Sindhi daughter-in-law. A full Sindhi song was also pictured on her. Probably this is the only Hindi Film with a full Sindhi song.
Sheela Ramani had a comparatively shorter film career just of two decades and around 24 films. One of her memorable films is 1954 released Taxi Driver. In the film Sheela appeared as Lilley, the Anglo-Indian night club dancer. In this film four solo songs were pictured on her and interestingly only one solo song was pictured on Hero Devanand and Heroin Kalpna Kartik, yet another beauty pungent winner. Sheela again worked with Devanand in 1956 released film Funtoosh. 1967 released film Awara Ladaki is the last film of Sheela Ramani.
After visiting Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan on invitation of maternal Uncle Lachhu Alias Sheikh Latif, and returning back to India Sheela Ramani played role of heroin of India’s first Sindhi film Abana. Abana is the film in which famous Sindhi actress, mystery girl of Bollywood Sadhana also has played a character. In the Sindhi film Abana, Sadhana played role of younger sister of Sheela Ramani.
On the 31 March 1963 Sheela married with Jall Cowasji, a famous industrialist of Mumbai, who remained President of Bombay Dyeing till 1981. After stopping working in Film Industry Sheela with husband has visited and stayed for a longer period at Shri Lanka, Columbia and Australia. After the death of husband in the year 1984 Sheela went abroad and because of health problems return back to India after the dawn of new millennium. Instead of Mumbai, Sheela Ramani started living at ancestral house at Mhow, quite close to Indore, a mega city of Madhya Pradesh. 15 July 2015 is day which proved to be last day of physical existence of Sheela Ramani, One of the best film actress, dancer and Heroin of first Sindhi film Abana.
Sheela Ramani – Filmography
List of Selective Hindi films (in order of Year of Release)
Badnam (1952) – Anand Math (1952) – Surang (1953) – Teen Batti Char Raasta (1953) – Taxi Driver (1954) – Naukri (1954) – Mangu (1954) – Meenar (1954) -Railway Platform (1955) – Funtoosh (1956) -Anokhi (1956) – Abana – Sindhi (1958) – Jungle King (1959) – The Return of Mr. Superman (1960) – Awara ladki (1967)
Famous and popular Sindhi folk singer Bhagwanti Navani is eventually immortal as she even after losing the physical existence still alive at hearts of thousands and thousands of Sindhi music lovers. Often called as Sindhi Koyel Bhagwanti was born on 01 Feb 1940 at Nasarpur. Undisputed queen of Singing Sindhi Lada (marriage ritual songs) Bhagwanti will always be remembered for singing Sukhamani Sahib (Guru Bani) in Sindhi. She also acted in Sindhi film Sindhua Je Kinare. On 22 Oct 1986 she left for heavenly abode.