3 hours agoAuthor: Ifat Qureshi
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Actor Kamal Sadana, who made his Bollywood debut with Kajol in 1992, is the son of famous actress Saeeda Khan and producer Brij Sadana. His mother Saeeda was one of the top actresses of the 60s, who was paired with every veteran artist of that time, Kishore Kumar, Rajkumar, Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor.
Saeeda, who entered films at the age of just 11, was a dancer. As fast as he got success in films, equally fast the changing times ruined him. Under compulsion, Saeeda married producer Brij Sadana. From this marriage he had two children, son Kamal Sadana (actor) and daughter Namrata. Within a few years, the fights between Saeeda and her husband started increasing. In every fight he used to threaten by taking out his licensed gun.
Saeeda, who had left the film industry after marriage, came into limelight years later when people came to know that her husband shot her and her daughter dead. That too amid the celebrations of son Kamal Sadana's 20th birthday.
21 October 1990.
It was the 20th birthday of Kamal Sadana, son of Saeeda Khan and Brij Sadana. A birthday party was organized at home that day, in which Kamal's friends were to come. When Kamal woke up in the morning, he saw that like every day, his parents were having a heated argument. This continued till evening. As the evening approached, some of his friends came and he went out for a walk with them. After spending a few hours outside the house, when Kamal returned home with his friends, he saw that his father Brij Sadana was drinking heavily.
He ignored his father and went with his friends to the first floor of his bungalow on 28th Road, Mira Road. Played songs in the room and started enjoying with friends. Amidst the noise of music, he suddenly heard the sound of gunshot. A few seconds passed and then another shot was fired.
When Kamal ran down to the room, he saw that his mother was covered in blood and was suffering from gunshot wounds. At some distance from them, the sister is also lying unconscious on the ground. When he took a few steps forward, he saw his father Brij always standing at him with his gun pointed at him. Before Kamal could ask any question, his father shot him too. The bullet hit him in the neck, due to which he became unconscious.
Friends ran out of the house to save their lives and informed the police along with the people in the neighborhood. Everyone was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared Saeeda Khan and daughter Namrata dead. When Kamal regained consciousness, he was informed about his mother's death. When people reached home to see his father, he had committed suicide. In an instant, Kamal Sadana's 20th birthday turned into a nightmare.
Today in Unsunni Dastan, read the horrifying story of Saeeda's infamy, painful life and murder –
Had dreamed of becoming a heroine in poverty
On 24 October 1949, Saeeda Khan was born in a poor Muslim family in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Saeeda's mother Anwari Begum was a dancer, who used to do small jobs in Hindi films. Looking at her mother, Saeeda used to dream of becoming a heroine since childhood.
Luck shone as soon as H.S.Ravail caught sight of him.
One day Saeeda attended a feast with her mother. The famous filmmaker of that time, H.S.Ravel, also attended that party, many of whose films released in the 50s were flopping one after the other. In that party H.S. Rawail's eyes were fixed on the very beautiful and innocent looking Saeeda. As soon as he saw Saeeda, he decided to cast her in his film.
H.S. Rawail talked to Saeeda's mother as soon as he got the chance and the matter was resolved. Saeeda was cast in the film Kanch Ki Gudiya, in which her hero was 25-year-old Manoj Kumar.
Due to some problems, the making of Saeeda's first film Kanch Ki Gudiya got delayed and in the meantime she got work in the second film Apna Haath Jagannath. In this film, Saeeda was cast with Kishore Kumar, who was known as the star of that time. Kishore Kumar was 20 years older than him.
The film Apna Haath Jagannath was a hit and Saeeda got recognition in Hindi cinema. In the same year, her film Honeymoon was also released, in which she was seen with Manoj Kumar. Next year both were seen in the film Kanch Ki Gudiya. Most of the songs of this film were quite hits. This was the same film through which Manoj Kumar achieved stardom.
Paired with many superstars in the 50s
From the first two films, Saeeda Khan made such a strong hold in Hindi cinema that she got the opportunity to work with the famous actors of that time, Rajkumar, Firoz Khan, Shashi Kapoor, Pradeep Kumar.
Career ruined due to arrival of young actresses, became B-grade actress to run the house
In the late 60s, many new heroines like Vyjayanthimala, Waheeda Rehman, who were also experts in classical dance, were making their place in Hindi cinema. In such a situation, Saeeda Khan's charm started waning with time. There came a time when he almost stopped getting work in Hindi cinema.
Saeeda had the responsibility of mother and sister. When the money coming from films stopped, the family faced financial crisis. When there was no option left, Saeeda started working in B-grade films to meet her household expenses. Some film historians also believe that when word spread in the film circles that her mother Anwari was a dancer, people stopped giving her good roles.
While working in B-grade films, Saeeda's last film was 1968's Vasna, in which she was seen in the side role of Chameli Bai, who seduces actor Rajkumar.
After the 1968 film Vasna, Saeeda Khan retired from B-grade films and roles. When he faced financial crisis, the producer of that time Brij Sadana helped him a lot. Along with helping Saeeda in running the house, he also used to get her work in his films.
Producer had proposed marriage in return for help
In return for helping Saeeda Khan, one day producer Brij Sadana proposed her for marriage. Saeeda, defeated by circumstances, refused Brij Sadana saying that she had the responsibility of mother and sister. In such a situation, she will never marry. Brij liked her so much that he assured that he would take the responsibility of her family after marriage.
Eventually Saeeda Khan agreed and married Brij Sadana in the late 60s. She gave birth to son Kamal Sadana in 1970. After which a daughter was born in their house, who was named Namrata.
After marriage, Saeeda Khan distanced herself from the film industry and started living a family life. Saeeda lived with her family in Jal Kamal Bungalow on 28th Road in Bandra area. Whereas Brij Sadana had kept his mother and sister Shagufta in the house on Carter Road.
Husband considered sister as Saeeda's illegitimate daughter
Saeeda Khan loved her sister Shagufta very much. There was a huge age difference between the two and they looked alike to a great extent. At that time news came that Saeeda's mother Anwari Begum had adopted Shagufta, but this created doubt in the mind of Saeeda's husband Brij Sadana.
used to fight after drinking alcohol
Brij Sadana felt that Shagufta was Saeeda's illegitimate daughter, whom she treated as her sister in front of the world. This suspicion of Brij Sadana started increasing so much that fights started happening in the house every day. The 80s proved to be extremely stressful for Brij Sadana. Most of the films made by him flopped miserably at the box office. When his career was on the decline, he became addicted to alcohol.
Whenever Brij Sadana drank alcohol, there was bound to be a fight in the house. Many times he even raised his hand on Saeeda. Brij had misbehaved with Saeeda at film parties, which was witnessed by many close people.
Nargis Dutt had helped Saeeda
Brij Sadana always kept a licensed gun with him. Whenever they had a fight, he used to take out his gun and threaten to kill Saeeda. It was the year 1978, one day Saeeda had a heated argument with her husband. As usual, angry Saeeda left the house and reached her house on Carter Road with her 8 year old son Kamal Sadana.
Angered, Brij Sadana went after him. When Saeeda flatly refused to open the door, they started threatening the bridge guard. When the guard tried to stop him, he took out the gun kept in his pocket and fired in the air.
Saeeda Khan was a close friend of actress Nargis Dutt, who had entered politics at that time. When Saeeda asked Nargis for help, she used her power to confiscate Brij Sadana's gun. Saeeda definitely got relief from losing the gun, but when the producers started receiving threats from the underworld, Brij Sadana took advantage of the opportunity and bought the gun again.
This story was told by Saeeda's son and actor Kamal Sadana in an interview given to Times of India. The fights between the two continued to escalate and on 21 October 1990, Brij Sadana murdered him.
Kamal Sadana returns to films 2 years after Saeeda's death
Saeeda Khan's son Kamal Sadana was working in films since the age of 16 as his father's assistant. The same year his family ended, Kamal Sadana was cast opposite Kajol in the film Bekhudi. Kajol and Sadana made their Bollywood debut with the film Bekhudi. Before Kamal, this film was given to Saif Ali Khan. However, due to his unprofessional attitude, he was removed and Kamal was cast. This film was released in 1992, two years after his mother's death.
Further, he was a part of dozens of films like Kamal Rang, Fauj, Bali Umar Ko Salaam, Hum Sab Chor Hain, Angara. Although he could never get success in films. In the year 2005, Kamal started the second innings of his career as a director with the film Karkash, but this film also could not do anything special.
In 2007, he produced the remake of his father Brij Sadana's film Victoria No. 203, in which Jimmy Shergill, Anupam Kher, Om Puri, Preeti Jhingiani were in lead roles. 15 years after the 2007 film Victoria No. 203, Kamal made an acting comeback with the film Salaam Venky. He was last seen in the role of Sam Manekshaw in the film Pippa.
Kamal Sadana with Kajol in the poster of the film Bekhudi.
Kamal never celebrated his birthday after the death of his mother Saeeda on his 20th birthday. Kamal Sadana is married to makeup artist Lisa John, with whom he has two children. He has named his daughter Namrata after his late sister.
Next Saturday, read the story of folk singer Amar Singh Chamkila, who was murdered due to controversial lyrics. Even after years, the perpetrators of his death have not been caught.
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