Call it destiny, luck or fate but there are many who do not receive the recognition they deserve for their calibre or meritorious work. In the pantheon of Hindi films, Rehman was one such unfortunate actor who did not get the appreciation that was certainly his right in view of his natural yet arresting depictions on screen. This is indeed surprising since Rehman, whose 95 birth anniversary passed by recently, is generally acknowledged by most viewers as a fabulously gifted artist of uncanny ability.
Blessed with rugged physique, broad shoulders, piercing eyes and a grainy voice, Rehman was a treat to watch in all his film personas that ranged from an alcoholic Zamindar (landlord) of the decaying 1850s in “Sahib Biwi aur Ghulam” to debauched flirt of “Ye Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke”.
Between the two extremes, the actor blazed the screen with some exceptional roles that exhibited his fantastic dramatic ability. Travel down the nostalgic path of yesteryears’ movies and we find major public favourites like “Chaudhvin ka Chand”, “Pyaasa”, “Dharmputra”, “Ghazal”, “Dil Diya Dard Liya”, “Waqt”, “Intaqaam” and many others were enormously helped by his fabulous contribution as a versatile actor.
Though Rehman did play several roles, it is in the negative shades that he brought out subtleties of character which many of his erstwhile contemporaries found difficult to emulate. Indian films are replete with hundreds of scenes where wickedness has been depicted in a loud, aggressive or boorish manner. Even, the great Pran, despite his extraordinary versatility and exemplary garbs, could be crude or noisy at times in his delineation of characters. But Rehman, in contrast, was always a cut above the rest with his depiction of treachery that was restrained yet diabolical in effect. Just a few examples would suffice to rest his case: watch the party scene of “Pyaasa” where poet Vijay recites the heart wrenching “Jaane Who Kaise Log The Jinko Pyaar Se Pyaar Mila” and focus on how Rehman through his clenched jaw and mere lifting of the eyelids unleashes his displeasure and contempt with utmost ease. So powerful is the silent fury that the audiences dread for the poets life and it is a marvellous example of brevity in expression, provoking an explosive anguish from everyone in the theatre.
Similarly, “Waqt” may have received hundreds of claps from the front benchers for Raj Kumar’s ‘dialogue-baazi’, but watch Rehman’s interaction with him at the edge of the swimming pool and you realise he is holding a master class in restrained effortlessness! Even better are his dialogues and laughter while twirling a walking stick in Raj Kumar’s den that reveal how an exemplary actor takes a scene beyond the realm of a script! In fact, it is Rehman’s natural appeal that provides glory and brilliance to the act despite some of Raj Kumar’s irritatingly repetitive gestures.
Veteran producer Satinder Singh Broca fondly recalls Rehman was a perfectionist who would never be satisfied with any shot and laughingly says, “Many termed him an agent of Kodak (the company which supplied the film rolls) for his insistence on a few extra takes!” Broca feels that while his favourites like Guru Dutt, D.D. Kashyap, Ramesh Saigal or Yash Chopra were persuaded to expose a few extra reels, his other directors were extremely wary of his quest for excellence as it added to their costs. Yet nobody complained since they understood “the quiet unassuming man was an asset” who never trod on others’ toes.
Not much is known about Rehman’s personal life except that he lived behind Regal Cinema in Colaba area of Bombay and was extremely devoted to his wife. Director Lekh Tandon informs that the tough Rehman married his girl friend who looked after him when he fell upon lean times during the 1950s. But as she kept him and his confidence afloat, Rehman was perpetually grateful to her for her supreme sacrifice and the devoted couple lived a reclusive life with Guru Dutt, Johnny Walker and Abrar Alvi amongst their few friends from the industry. Perhaps this seclusion from the moviedom’s social circuit explains the near absence of any stories about him or his family. Nevertheless, like Lekh Tandon opines, “he was a rare breed of actor who brought his own sheen and sophistication to a character”, discerning audiences know he was an actor who was worth his weight in gold. Like a rare melody that is little remembered but never forgotten by our heart, Rehman twinkles in our memory.
