The Padma Shri Awardee and the actress, who is also considered one of the most respected and talented actresses of all time, late Shashikala Saigal holds a special place in the history of Indian cinema. With over 100 films in her name and lifting tons of prestigious awards during her illustrious career, some of Shashikala's most iconic films are Anupama, Waqt, Gumrah, Khubsoorat, Bimla and many others. Shashikala had also worked in the television industry for many years and was one of the very few actresses of her time, who had the talent to be comfortable both in the film and television space.
Apart from her illustrious career, Shashikala Saigal's troubled personal life had always made its way to the headlines of newspapers and entertainment magazines back in her time. The iconic actress was married to Om Prakash Saigal, who belonged to the family of the first superstar of Indian cinema, K.L. Saigal. Once in an interview with a leading media portal, Shashikala had talked about her life at length as she had uncovered many unknown secrets about her married life.
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In a heart-to-heart interview with DNA, Shashikala Saigal had opened up about her life and had recalled the moments that had a huge impact on her life. The actress was the daughter of a cloth merchant and had struggled hard to make a place for herself in the Hindi film industry. From not having anything to eat for 8-10 days quite often during her childhood days to becoming the breadwinner of her family at the age of 11, Shashikala had unfolded many painful chapters of her life. Recalling the first thing she had bought for her family members from her first income of Rs. 25, she had said:
"Of course. We bought gifts, sweets and crackers for everyone. I still remember the fancy Nagpuri paatal saris which my father bought me in pink and blue. We were celebrating Diwali after years."
Going further in the interview, Shashikala Saigal had turned toward another big moment in her life, and that was her marriage to the renowned producer of that time, Om Prakash Saigal. The actress had got married to Om Prakash when she was just 19. When Shashikala was asked about the reason behind her early marriage, she had given a beautiful answer as she had admitted that she was bestowed with Om Prakash's personality and aura. However, soon cracks had started appearing in their marriage. Talking about the same, Shashikala had revealed that she and Om Prakash had decided to send their daughters to a hostel because of their growing differences. She had explained:
"You can call it infatuation or whatever. I was besotted with O.P. Saigal and married him. I thought I'd settle down but destiny kept me fettered to the camera as his business failed. Despite the money I made, I was frustrated and angry at how actresses like Shyama had graduated to lead roles while I was stuck with second leads and bit roles, even doing double shifts to keep my kitchen fires burning. The regular fights with my husband saw me send my daughters to a boarding school in Panchgani."
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In the same interview, Shashikala Saigal had finally addressed the most controversial decision of her life that had acted as the final nail in the coffin of her marriage with Om Prakash Saigal. The actress's constant fights and arguments with her husband had worsened with time. That's when Shashikala had eloped with a man to a foreign land. Recalling her decision to get engaged to another man in a misguided moment during her shooting abroad, she had termed it as the biggest mistake of her life. Recalling the consequences she had faced after that, the iconic actress had revealed that she had slept on pavements and had roamed the streets of Bombay after her return to India. She had recalled:
"Yes, destiny wasn't done with playing me a bad hand. Differences between my husband and me worsened when the kids were in boarding. That's when in a misguided moment straight out of my film Gumrah, I eloped with another man abroad, leaving behind my husband, kids and career. It was the biggest mistake of my life for which I paid dearly. I was humiliated and tortured for days till I returned crazy and broken. For days, I roamed the streets like a madwoman, sleeping on pavements, eating what I could lay my hands on, touring ashrams and temples in search of peace."
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However, after some time, Shashikala Saigal had made her way back into the headlines for her work. After all the terrible things that had happened in her personal life, her performance in the film, Satyavan Savitri had brought her right in the limelight. After which, she had worked in a series of hit films and had enjoyed the showbiz industry for some years. However, the actress had started feeling depressed and unfulfilled with the success she was experiencing. Talking about the same, Shashikala had shared her thoughts on the other side of a celebrity's life. She had explained:
"Yes. My frustration, restlessness and anger returned. There seemed no purpose to life. All my life I'd been the breadwinner for my parents, my siblings, my husband, my children. Now everyone was well-settled. I felt lonely and hollow and quit again. I tried going back to our Pune home to settle down to a regular life but wherever I went everyone was just interested in Shashikala the actress, not me."
In the end, Shashikala Saigal had talked about how she had found peace with herself while working at Mother Teresa's ashrams, NGOs and help centres. The actress had also recalled the duties she had performed while working in an ashram in Pune. Tragically, after some years, Shashikala had lost her daughter, who was suffering from cancer. That was when Shashikala's selfless work at Mother Teresa's ashram and comprehending the meaning of life and death had helped the actress cope a bit with her daughter's loss. She had explained:
"Cleaning toilets, removing maggots from wounds and changing dressings, mopping the floors, I did all that with stoic brought on with prayer and it calmed me down. It (Shashikala's daughter's death)was painful but I did everything for her and prayed for her. It was that prayer perhaps that made her die in peace without suffering."
For the unversed, the iconic actress, Shashikala Saigal had passed away on April 4, 2021, at 88 due to old age.
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